Mushroom and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced into rounds
4 cups fresh morel or porcini or chanterelle or other wild mushrooms, quartered lengthwise and carefully cleaned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup Calvados, Madeira, or Cognac
1/4 pound fresh goat cheese
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
6 slices rustic country bread, each 1/3 inch thick
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil and 2 teaspoons of the butter in a saute pan over medium heat.

Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper. When the mushrooms start to caramelize and give off their juices, add the thyme and saute for 1 minute more. Then stir in the Calvados and the remaining 2 teaspoons butter and keep warm over low heat until you are ready to serve.

In a bowl, mix the goat cheese together with the whipping cream to make it spreadable. Toast or grill the bread, smear each slice with a nice layer of the creamy goat cheese and place on serving plates. Pour the mushroom sauce over, sprinkle with parsley, and serve at once.