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It's not easy being a white mushroom. Chefs slander them, epicures call them flavourless and they now have to compete with more glamorous fungi with cool Japanese names.

I happen to like white mushrooms; they're cheap, readily available and are grown right here in Ontario, 365 days a year. Here are some condensed recipes for white mushrooms. (Clean mushrooms with a pastry brush, and season each recipe with salt and pepper to taste.)

Fennel salad: Slice a small, trimmed fennel bulb paper thin on a mandoline and arrange on a platter. Slice four ounces of large, fresh mushrooms in the same manner and arrange on top of the fennel. Drizzle with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Top with shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano and add a few drops of white truffle oil, if desired.

Arugula salad: In a large salad bowl, combine five ounces of arugula, four ounces of thinly sliced mushrooms and one tablespoon of minced shallot. Dress with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and minced garlic. Top with shavings of asiago.

Soup: Gently cook one chopped onion, one pound chopped mushrooms, three minced garlic cloves and fresh thyme in butter until soft. Add four cups of chicken or vegetable stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender and finish with a splash of cognac. Serve with a drizzle of cream and sprinkle of chives.

Antipasto: Toss whole mushrooms with olive oil, minced garlic and chopped fresh rosemary. Roast on a baking tray in a 425 F oven until tender and golden in spots. Let the mushrooms cool and dress with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and chopped Italian parsley. Serve at room temperature.

On toast: Thinly slice 1/2 pound of mushrooms and finely chop one shallot, one clove garlic and a few sprigs of thyme and parsley. In a large skillet, cook the mushrooms over a high heat in butter and olive oil. Half way through the cooking, push the mushrooms to the side, add a knob of butter and top it with the shallot, garlic and thyme. When the shallots are sizzling, stir everything together and cook until soft. Toast two pieces of bread, rub with a cut garlic clove and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Top with the hot mushrooms, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Gratin: Cook one pound of mushrooms as in the preceding recipe and finely chop. Butter an oval or rectangular baking dish. Thinly slice two pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes on a mandoline and layer half of them in the dish. Sprinkle with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and top with the mushroom mixture. Cover with the rest of the potatoes and pour in enough heavy cream to come just level with the potatoes. Sprinkle with more cheese and bake in a 350 F oven until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden and bubbling, about one hour.