Make the confit *this can be done up to a week in advance.

Preheat oven to 450 to make garlic or shallot confit. In an oven safe ramekin or dish, peel the garlic and/or shallots. Place in the baking dish with the bay leaf and cover in EVOO. Make sure that the garlic/shallot are completely submerged. Bake at 450 for 45 minutes.

Make the Kale Pesto *this can be done up to three days in advance 

Boil a pot of water, destem the kale. Once the water is boiling, add a pinch of sea salt and blanch the kale (cook the kale in water for 60-90 seconds) remove the kale from the water, and place in the blender with EVOO, parmigiano reggiano, pistachios and garlic. Add a pinch of sea salt + freshly cracked pepper. Blend until a chunky consistency is formed, smoother if preferred.

Make the mushroom toast.

Slice the bread into two thick slices or baguette into bite-sized pieces, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt. Toast the bread in the broiler, in a cast iron skillet, or on the grill. Best to get some char marks on the bread. 

While the bread is toasting. Heat the garlic confit in a large skillet over medium, tear the mushrooms and brown in the pan with a pinch of salt. Be mindful of crowding the mushrooms, they will not brown if pan is full. You may need to work in batches. Once all the mushrooms have browned, toss them all in the pan. Add the white wine, and wait 2-4 minutes for the alcohol smell to cook off. Quickly stir the crème fraîche in the pan with the thyme or oregano. Add a pinch of flaky salt and fresh cracked pepper. Stir until the mixture forms a thick sauce to coat the back of a wooden spoon. You want it to be creamy and a bit runny.

Serve warm on charred bread with a smothering of kale pesto, and spoonful of mushrooms, finish with roughly chopped parsley leaves, another pinch of flaky sea salt. 

Note: sourdough is my preferred bread, I use a sourdough baguette for two-bite appetizers, or a thick slice of sourdough country loaf when serving for lunch or dinner.