September is near its end, but there is still time to celebrate National Mushroom Month by tasting some of the delicious meals prepared with this Chester County staple.

Chef Albert Alvarado, at White Dog Café in University City, is one of many culinary artists maximizing the abundance of locally sourced mushrooms. PHL17 cultivated the story.

The farm-to-table restaurant with four locations in the region works directly with farmers in the mushroom capital of the world to make sure the product it serves is always as fresh as possible.

“We are getting our mushrooms almost immediately as they are coming out of the ground,” said Alvarado.

One of the fan favorites that the chef prepares is Kennett Square Mushroom Soup. This is one of the café’s staples, since mushrooms are not seasonal (they’re harvested all year).

Alvarado crafts the soup with several different varieties of mushrooms — including white beech mushrooms and cremini mushrooms — all grown locally.

The café also has several other tasty mushroom options on its menu, including Roasted Mushroom Ravioli and Kennett Square Mushroom Gratin.

Read more about White Dog Café’s use of Kennett Square mushrooms at PHL17.