By Katy Wilkens, MS, RD

Anyone who forages for wild mushrooms can attest to what a bumper crop we’ve had this fall. If you aren’t one to put on a raincoat and walk in the woods, head to your grocery store to pick up some local yellow or white chanterelle mushrooms. If they are too expensive, you can always use commercial crimini or Portobello mushrooms.
Mushrooms are a great way to add that elusive “umami” taste. Umami is the beefy, brothy taste most people associate with meat, but you can get it from lots of foods. Umami flavors help satisfy your palate with no need to cook with unhealthy salty ingredients, which can cause problems for your heart, blood vessels and kidneys.
Mushrooms and Parmesan cheese are two great low-salt ways to add umami, and less salt, to your meals. If you make the vegetarian pate below, you will have to explain to your friends the rich flavor comes from mushrooms and not meat. Mushrooms are also one of the few natural food sources of vitamin D, which our bodies will start to miss as we see less sun with the coming of winter.

Wild chanterelles in cream sauce
2 cups fresh chopped chanterelle mushrooms or other mushrooms
2 tablespoons of white wine (optional)
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup half and half
½ cup milk
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Clean and coarsely chop mushrooms. Put in large skillet with wine, and cook over high heat until all liquid is evaporated. Add olive oil and cook a bit longer, until mushrooms start to caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside.
Melt butter over medium heat in skillet. Add half and half and milk. Cook until milk begins to bubble on edges. Add Parmesan a small amount at a time, stirring constantly. If the mixture starts to clump together, put in blender or food processor to make smooth. Add the cooked mushrooms and fresh basil during the last few minutes of cooking. Serve over cooked pasta. Serves 4.
Nutritional information:
Calories: 224, Carbohydrates: 5 grams, Protein: 6 grams, Sodium: 233 milligrams

Wild mushroom pate
This pate makes a tasty spread for crackers or sliced sourdough bread. It is great to serve as a vegetarian option at a party, and is a lot less expensive than meat pate. I like to serve it with homemade low-salt pickles. Find that recipe at www.nwkidney.org.
2 eggs, scrambled

1 pound mushrooms coarsely chopped, white chanterelles or white button mushrooms
1 stick butter (half a cup), softened, divided in two (you can substitute about half the butter with olive oil, but the pate will be much softer)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice or white wine
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Scramble eggs, let cool. Meanwhile, slice mushrooms. If using chanterelles, sauté about five minutes to remove water. Add ½ stick butter and rosemary. Add lemon juice and scrambled eggs, then puree in food processor or blender. Leave in blender and cool until just slightly warm. Add rest of butter and seasonings and puree again. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. It keeps for several days. Serves 12.
Nutritional information (per two tablespoons): Calories: 91, Carbohydrates: 2 grams, Protein: 2 grams, Sodium: 30 milligrams

The recipes in this column are meant for people who want to keep their kidneys healthy and blood pressure down by following a low-sodium diet. In most cases, except for dialysis patients, a diet high in potassium is thought to help lower high blood pressure. These recipes are not intended for people on dialysis without the supervision of a registered dietitian.

[Katy G. Wilkens is a registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. She has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington. See more of her recipes at www.nwkidney.org.]