In the Kitchen with Cloe Chunn
In the Kitchen with Nature Evolutionaries, a monthly feature that shares recipes from Earth-honoring, plant-wise folks passionate about delicious and healing foods. This is an invitation to connect with Nature through preparing and eating our food.
In the heart of any gathering, the joy of sharing food brings us back to a sense of community and abundance, as we pause to honor the gifts of the Earth. When my family gathers each autumn, our table is alive with an array of plant-based dishes that honor seasonal ingredients and shared tradition. And at the center of it all is Cloe’s savory mushroom gravy—a rich, earthy blend that deepens every dish it touches. Her recipe, honed over many years, is a beautiful example of how flavors can transform a meal into a heartfelt expression of gratitude.- April Thanhauser, ONE Visioning Council Member
Here’s how to bring the warmth of Cloe’s mushroom gravy to your table this season. Whether you’re gathering with friends, family, or neighbors, this recipe is a reminder to honor what we have, in the place we are, together.
Cloe’s Mushroom Gravy
Yield: Serves a gathering.
Ingredients
2 skillets needed
2 tbsp butter or oil
1 cup celery, minced (include leaves if available)
1 medium onion, minced
1–2 quarts fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
4 cups liquid (a mix of cider, wine, vegetable broth, milk, or water)
Culinary sage, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Optional additions:
Oregano, rosemary, parsley, soy sauce
Instructions
Sauté the Vegetables:
In one skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter or heat oil over medium heat.
Add the minced onion and celery, cooking until softened.
Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking slowly until mushrooms are soft and golden.
Prepare the Roux:
In the second skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Add the flour, stirring constantly to create a roux. Cook until the roux turns a light brown color.
Lower the heat and slowly add the warm liquid to the roux, a teaspoon at a time, stirring constantly until it reaches a smooth, gravy consistency.
Combine and Season:
Pour the gravy into the skillet with the sautéed vegetables, mixing well.
Season generously with sage and black pepper to achieve the savory, autumnal flavor.
Optional: Add rosemary, oregano, parsley, or a splash of soy sauce to taste.
Serve this rich and earthy gravy over your favorite sides or main dishes.
Enjoy!
Cloe Chunn is a Nature educator and guide who has dedicated her life to helping people fall in love with the natural world. She teaches adult and children’s groups in Belfast, Maine, where she hikes, paddles, and cross-country skis. She is the author of 50 Hikes in the Maine Mountains: Day Hikes and Overnights from the Rangeley Lakes to Baxter State Park.
She and her husband David Thanhauser have developed a canoe-paddling trail with simple campsites along the Penobscot River. Together, they tend a cranberry bog, forest, meadow, and stream and work to collaboratively protect sensitive ecosystems around them. They are both wonderful cooks.
