In autumn mushrooms are great, and these crostini are a delicious start to a dinner: you can use a mixture of wild and cultivated mushrooms, or the kind you prefer.

Mushroom crostini with marjoram

Ingredients: 4 servings

14 oz mixed mushrooms, well cleaned, cut into thin slices

4 large slices of bread (Pugliese bread, if you can find it, is a must to try)

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves (1 finely chopped and 1 peeled)

1 small red chilli, finely chopped (if you don't like hot taste, reduce the quantity)

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves (a bit less if you use dried leaves), coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Preparation:

Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, fry the chopped garlic and chilli for one minute, then add the mushrooms and fry for a further 3 minutes, until cooked. Stir in parsley and marjoram: season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, mix well. Toast the slices of Pugliese bread on both sides: rub each slice lightly with the whole garlic clove and brush with the remaining oil. Finally, spoon over the mixture of mushrooms. Serve hot.