a tavola - mushrooms
(more recipes)

Italians are wild about mushrooms. Autumn is the mushroom season and we eat mushrooms alone and everything else with mushrooms in it and accompanying it. Some of us would eat mushrooms every day. Here is a sample of the hundreds of recipes I have for mushrooms. If you would like more mushroom recipes, please do not hesitate to ask.

ANTIPASTO

Crostini Di Polenta ai Funghi - Polenta Crostini & Mushrooms
1 oz Dried porcini mushrooms
4 tb Olive oil
1 lg Red onion, finely minced
1 lb Fresh brown mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
3 sm Ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1 T Parsley
Salt & pepper

Polenta:
6 c Water
2 1/2 ts salt
2 c Cornmeal, finely ground
Olive oil

Soak the porcini mushrooms in warm water to cover for at least 45 minutes. Carefully remove from liquid & rinse well under cold water. Chop roughly & pat dry.

Heat olive oil in a heavy saute pot & saute onion until it is translucent & soft. Add the garlic & all the mushrooms. Reduce heat to low & cook, stirring intermittently, for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt & pepper & cook for another 5 minutes.

Polenta:
Bring the salted water to vigorous boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to low & slowly sprinkle in the cornmeal in a thin stream, first whisking it in & then stirring constantly being careful to eliminate any lumps. Keep the water at a steady simmer and stir frequently. When it comes away from the side of the pot, after 20 or 25 minutes, it is cooked. Check for salt. Allow to cool by pouring onto a baking sheet & patting until it is as smooth as possible.

Cut the polenta into slices that are 2" wide & 3" to 4" long. Brush lightly with the olive oil. Broil until they are firm & lightly crisp on both sides. Place a spoonful of the hot mushroom sauce on the top of each crostini & serve.

Can be served as an appetizer, as an antipasto, as a side dish or as a main dish.

Stuffed Mushrooms
1 lb. mushrooms
2 T. minced onion
1 T. parsley
3 T. butter
1/8 t. salt
1 c. soft bread crumbs
garlic powder (to taste)
2 T. parmesan cheese
few drops of milk
1/3 c. water

Clean mushrooms; pick out largest (16-18), remove stems and set aside. Dice stems with remaining mushrooms. Saute diced pieces with onion in butter and parsley. Add salt, bread crumbs, garlic powder and cheese. Add just enough milk to make moist. Stuff reserved caps and place in shallow baking dish. Add water to dish and bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

I PRIMI - FIRST COURSES

PASTA

Fettucine ai Funghi con Olio di Tartufi - Fettucine with Mushrooms and Truffle Oil
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 or 4 dried morel mushrooms
1 cup vegetable stock or chicken broth, brought to a boil
5 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
4 to 6 ounces fresh mushrooms of choice (oyster, shiitakes, trompettes de mort or horn of plenty, even cultivated mushrooms), thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 ripe tomatoes, diced, or 1 basket cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or a mix of rosemary and Italian parsley
Pinch salt
Tiny pinch sugar
1 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons pesto
12 ounces dried fettuccine, or 1 pound fresh
Several generous shakes of truffle oil

Place porcini and morels in a bowl, wash them and then pour boiling stock over them. Cover and rehydrate for about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms and squeeze them over the bowl. Cut porcini into bite-size pieces, and the morels into halves or quarters; set aside.

Stain soaking liquid through a cheesecloth- lined strainer. Discard grit at bottom of pot.

Lightly saute shallots and half the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add sliced fresh mushrooms, cook a few minutes until they are just tender. Add rehydrated mushrooms and cook a few moments. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and return pan to heat. Pour mushroom soaking liquid into pan and cook over medium-high heat, letting it boil down to a reduced and intensely flavored sauce; you should have only a few tablespoons. Pour this over mushrooms.

Add a tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan and return to the heat. Add the tomatoes and cook over high heat until they are warmed through and slightly cooked. You do not want them to turn into a sauce -- they should retain their fresh character. Stir in the remaining garlic, the rosemary, salt and sugar. Add the tomatoes to the mushrooms.

Pour wine into pan and boil down to a few tablespoons; add to mushrooms tomatoes.

Mix the pesto with the remaining olive oil, then smear the mixture around the edges of the serving plates.

Cook the pasta until it is al dente; drain. Toss the hot pasta with the mushroom and tomato sauce and the remaining tablespoon of butter, and sprinkle with truffle oil. Mound a portion of the pasta in the center of each plate.

Serves 6.

Ziti al Forno ai Funghi, Peperoni e Parmigiano - Baked Ziti with Mushrooms, Peppers and Parmesan Cheese
3 large yellow bell peppers (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms
2 medium red bell peppers
2 medium orange bell peppers
1 pound ziti
8 scallions (green part only)
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

Chop yellow bell peppers and onion and mince garlic. In a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan cook yellow peppers, onion, and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until peppers are soft, about 30 minutes. Stir in cream. In a blender puree mixture in batches (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. (Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to room temperature before proceeding.)

Thinly slice mushrooms lengthwise and cut red and orange bell peppers into 1/4-inch-wide strips. In a deep large heavy skillet cook mushrooms and peppers in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until peppers are softened and most of liquid is evaporated, about 8 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375�F.

Fill a 6- to 7-quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in ziti and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water and drain ziti well in a colander. Rinse ziti and drain well. Thinly slice scallion greens. Into sauce stir ziti, mushroom mixture, scallion greens, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, reserved cooking water, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture into a 3-quart shallow baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Bake ziti in middle of oven until hot and pasta begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

Serves 8 to 10

POLENTA

Baked Polenta With Mushrooms
6 c Polenta, cooked
1 ea Garlic clove, quartered
2 tb Olive oil
1 lb Mushrooms, sliced
2 tb Basil, chopped
1 pn Dried red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spoon polenta into an oiled 8" X 12" baking dish & set aside.

Saute garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat until garlic begins to brown. About 5 minutes. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon & discard. Add mushrooms & saute in flavoured oil until they soften. They will only need 5 minutes or so. Stir in the basil, red pepper, salt & pepper. Spread evenly over prepared polenta & bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

I SECONDI

CARNE

Vitello Arrosto con Funghi - Veal Roast with Mushrooms
1/3 oz dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 oz bacon
2 lb of boned veal for roasting
salt and pepper
30 g / 1 oz / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
120 ml / 4 fl oz / * cup dry white wine

Ask your butcher to bone and roll the meat and to give you the bones. Put them in the roasting pan with the meat because they add a great deal of flavour to the sauce. This is a dish that can be served with Rosemary potatoes

Soak the mushrooms in water for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and reserve for a rice dish or soup. In a small frying pan heat half the oil. Add the mushrooms and cook over moderate heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, season and sprinkle with the thyme. Finely chop the mushrooms and bacon together to reduce to a paste. Using a larding needle, make a hole through the entire length of the meat. Fill it with the bacon and mushroom paste. Season with salt and pepper.

In a roasting pan heat the butter and the rest of the oil over moderate heat. Add the meat and the bones and brown on all sides. Transfer the pan to a pre-heated 180�C / 350�C / gas 4 oven. Roast for one hour, basting occasionally. Remove the meat to a serving plate and keep warm. Discard the bones. Put the roasting pan over moderate heat. Add the wine and deglaze the cooking juices, scraping the pan well. Untie the roast and cut it into slices. Pour the cooking juices over the sliced meat and serve at once.

Serves 6

POLLO

Pollo alla Marsala con Funghi - Chicken & Mushrooms Marsala
1 cn (15 Oz.) Tomato Sauce with Herbs
8 oz Mushrooms Sliced
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
a pinch of Pepper
2 lb Frying Chicken Pieces, Skinned
2 T Marsala Wine

In a13 X 9 X 2 Inch baking dish,mix tomato sauce, mushrooms, sugar, salt & pepper. Place cicken in dish & coat With sauce mixture. Cover Tightly With Foil & Bake At 350 F. For 30 Min. Turn Chicken Over & Bake, Uncovered, 30 Min. Longer. Place Chicken On serving platter. Stir Marsala Into sauce & pour over.

Serves 4

PIATTI DI VERDURA/VEGETARIANI - VEGETABLE/VEGETARIAN

Funghi Portobello alla Griglia con Gorgonzola - Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Gorgonzola
2 cleaned and stemmed portebello mushrooms
2 oz (56 grm) extra virgin olive oil
1 oz (28 grm) gorgonzola cheese (preferably imported)
4 oz (112 grm) heavy cream
Pinch of cayenne pepper
A few pieces of dry roasted walnuts

Brush on oil, completely cover, let excess oil drip off Either grill or pan fry to sear at high heat, then reduce or move to medium heat until mushrooms get soft to the touch (mushrooms are brittle but when cooked the become more plyable). Keep warm. Scald cream, remove from heat, add cheese, and pepper, and place back on low heat and reduce until thick enough to cover the back of a spoon. Slice mushrooms 1/4 inch thick. Fan on a plate, cover with sauce, garnish with walnuts and a sprig of italian parsley.

Peperoni Ripieni di Funghi - Peppers Stuffed with Mushrooms
6 yellow peppers
4 1/2 tbsp. dried mushrooms
1 1/2 cups stale bread with the crust removed
1 egg - salt - pepper
5 tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
1/2 cup extra-vergine olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350� F. Roast the peppers, remove the skins and rinse them in water. Remove the stems, seeds and filaments, keeping the peppers whole. Place them on a towel to dry.

Soak the mushrooms in warm water and carefully wash them afterward. Soak the bread in water, then squeeze out excess moisture. Put the mushrooms and bread in a blender, add the egg, a pinch of salt and another of pepper and the grated Parmesan. Reduce to a thick paste. Stuff the peppers with the paste and place them in a deep baking dish, standing upright on their bases. Baste with oil and bake the peppers in a 350� F. oven for at least 30 minutes. Put the peppers on a platter and serve

Serves 6

Tortino ai Porcini - Porcini Mushroom Pie
3 medium potatoes
3 tomatoes
6 porcini mushrooms
4 cloves garlic
2 ounces olive oil
parsley
oregano
salt and pepper.

Slice ingredients and place in a baking dish in layers, as you would with lasagna. Bake in the oven for twenty minutes at 375 degrees.

Serves 4

INSALATA

Alice's Fresh Mushroom Salad
This is a recipe my decesased husband, Vittorio taught me.

Chop some fresh parsley and garlic. Put it aside Wash, dry and thinly slice very fresh white button mushrooms and put them in a salad bowl. Add the parsley and garlic one tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Optional: Roasted sweet red pepper diced Mix gently but thoroughly and serve.

Insalata di Funghi Porcini - Porcini Mushroom Salad
1lb.2 oz. small firm porcini mushrooms (boletus edulis)
1 celery heart cut into thin strips
1/2 cup Parmesan flaked
Lemon Vinaigrette

Wash the mushrooms with a brush. Rinse them briefly under running water and dry them well. Slice them very thin and put them in a salad bowl with the finely cut celery heart and the parmesan flakes. Dress with a lemon vinaigrette - 1 tablespoon of lemon juice mixed with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper.

I DOLCI - DESSERT

Pere al Gorgonzola - Pears with Gorgonzola
12 pears
White wine
150 gr. Gorgonzola
400 gr. di Mascarpone
sugar
cannella
cinnamon, clove

Peel and core 1 2 pears. Put in a pan and cover with the white wine. Add the sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and a clove. Boil for about 5 minutes, then drain the pears and let them to cool. Mix the Gorgonzola and Mascrpone cheese well and stuff the pears with . the mixture.

Serves 4

Mele al forno Alice - Alice's Baked apples
6 golden delicious apples washed
1/4 cup butter
6 tbsp sugar
6 tsp redcurrant or apricot jam
1 pinch of cinnamon
2 tbsp raisins soaked for half an hour in apricot brandy.

Core the apples leaving a little pulp on the bottom to stop the juice running out. Place them in a buttered oven dish. Mix the jam with the raisins (squeezed to rid them of excess liquid) and the cinnamon and place a little in each apple center. Put a piece of butter on top and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180�C/350�F/4G. Serve either warm or at room temperature

Serves 6