Cartoccio of Wild Mushrooms, Artichokes, and Cannellini Beans, with David Little’s Fingerling Potatoes
from Chef Eric Tucker of Millennium Restaurant
This recipe was demonstrated at CUESA's Market to Table programs on May 9, 2008.
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced as needed
2 cloves garlic, minced (you can add additional thinly sliced garlic to taste)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked cannellini beans
4-6 baby artichokes, halved and blanched, or 2-3 large artichokes, quartered and blanched
4-6 fingerling potatoes, halved and blanched (be careful not cook them all the way through)
1/3 teaspoon saffron threads, steeped in 1/2 cup good quality white wine
2-3 teaspoons parsley, roughly chopped
Sprigs of rosemary and thyme
2 thin slices of Meyer lemon
High quality olive oil (or some truffle oil and some shavings of winter truffle while you are at it), to taste
Creamy polenta (recipe follows)
Salsa verde (recipe follows)
PREPARATION:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a sauté pan over high heat; add oil and the mushrooms. Sear until the mushrooms release there liquid and it evaporates. Add the garlic and sauté 30 more seconds. Season with salt and pepper; reserve.
2. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a flat surface. Place the mushrooms, beans, artichokes and potatoes in the center of the parchment. Pour over some of the saffron wine. Sprinkle with thin slices of garlic, if you are using, and the chopped parsley; place the herb sprigs and lemon over the top and drizzle with olive and/or truffle oil. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap up the parchment so that everything is fully enclosed and bake for 20 minutes. Unwrap and serve over creamy polenta with a drizzle of salsa verde.
Vegan Creamy Polenta
1 cup polenta
4 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons cashew butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bring the vegetable stock to boil in a large saucepan. Whisk in the polenta, decrease the heat to low, and stir constantly for 10 minutes, or until the polenta is thick and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in yeast and cashew butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Salsa Verde
I cup parsley leaves
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
Juice from 1-2 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Puree all ingredients together in a blender.