I believe mushrooms are truly a gift from nature and they are precious to the vegetarian cook, with their earthy robust flavors and meaty texture.

Fresh wild mushrooms are sometimes difficult to find and fresh porcini nearly impossible. While some of you may be wary of dried mushrooms, after trying this recipe, you’ll realize how absolutely delicious and bursting with rich flavor they can be.

Look for dried Porcini of high quality, preferably those imported from Italy or France. The sliced caps should be dark brown and at least 2 inches in length.

Ingredients
POLENTA
2-1/2 c. quick cooking Italian polenta
6 c. water
1/2-1 t. salt
4 T. butter or 1/4 c. olive oil, optional
1/2 c. Fontina cheese, optional

MUSHROOM TOPPING
3 c. Porcini mushrooms (dried & reconstituted, see below)
3 c. mixed fresh mushrooms such as button, shitake, or crimini
2 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 c. chopped plum tomatoes, skinned
1/4 c. dry white wine, optional
1/2 c. chopped mixed fresh herbs — parsley, basil, thyme, & tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare Polenta:
Bring salted water to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan. Slowly sprinkle polenta meal into water, stirring constantly. Lower heat, then continue to stir and cook until polenta thickens and pulls away from sides of pan, about 4-5 minutes. Now add butter or olive oil and cheese if you want.

Spray a 9 X 13 inch cake pan with water, then pour polenta into pan and spread to corners with the back of a wooden spoon. If mixture sticks to spoon, simply spritz polenta with a little water.

Allow polenta to set up — 45-60 minutes — before cutting and using. You can also wrap with plastic tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. Polenta will keep in the fridge for about a week and can be used for our fabulous fried polenta appetizer.

To prepare Mushroom Topping:
Rinse dried mushrooms under running water to clean, then soak in warm water to cover about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile clean and slice fresh mushrooms and set aside. In a small saucepan, boil water. Drop tomatoes into boiling water one by one. After a few seconds skins will pucker and begin to loosen. Remove immediately from water and slide skins off. Chop peeled tomatoes roughly and set aside.

Heat oil in a wide saute pan and add garlic and onions. Saute until just beginning to soften, then add fresh mushroom and continue to saute.

With your hands, squeeze broth from reconstituted dried mushrooms and add them to saute pan. Stir, then add 1 cup of reserved broth, and simmer. Any leftover broth can be saved for stock.

When sauce thickens, add tomatoes and half the herbs. Simmer another 10-15 minutes. Sauce should be thick and rich. Add some of the reserved mushroom broth if mixture seems too dry. If desired, now add wine. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, then remaining herbs.

To assemble:
Slice polenta into 1/2″ wide slices and place in individual portions on a baking sheet greased with olive oil.

If desired, then drizzle with additional olive oil.

Bake at 475 degrees for about 10 minutes, until brown and bubbly.

Spoon mushroom topping over individual servings, dress with additional fruity (Sicilian) olive oil, and serve hot.

Note: Only needing a rinse to clean them, soaking dried mushrooms in water for less than half an hour prepares them for cooking. Make sure to reserve the rich “broth” soaking creates, as it makes an excellent base for soups and sauces and is impossible to achieve with fresh, cultivated mushrooms.

Roasting garlic produces a complete change in flavor, the “bite” of raw garlic magically turns into a mellow sweetness you have to try to believe! I often roast up to half a dozen garlic heads at a time. They keep well — a month or more in the fridge — and in my house, they disappear quickly!

Ingredients:
Several firm, tight heads of garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse kosher salt
Fresh herbs such as lemon thyme or oregano

To prepare:

Peel off any the outermost layer of loose, papery skin, then cut off the top half or so of the pointed end of the garlic head, to expose the cloves.

Place bulb in the center of a 6″ square of heavy duty foil. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and place a fresh herb on top. Sprinkle with a dash of kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper.

Wrap foil snugly up and around bulb like a Hersey’s Kiss and place on hot grill. Flip it around occasionally till it feels soft and squishy on the inside, about 20 minutes or so.

Remove from foil and pour any excess oil back onto the top of garlic. The delightful little bulbs of roasted garlic will easily squeeze out of their skins.

Onions and summer squashes are superb when grilled, but don’t be afraid to try any vegetable on the grill. Toni also likes to throw in carrots, fresh fennel, and halved baby potatoes. You’re only limited by your own imagination.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
Basic Balsamico Vinaigrette (makes about 1 cup):
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. good quality Balsamic vinegar
2. T. wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Vegetables:
Eggplant, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2″ to 3/4″ “steaks”
Portobello mushroom caps
Zucchini and summer squash, sliced lengthwise or
whole (if small)
Sweet onion( Spanish or Vidalia), sliced 1/4″ crosswise or into moon-shaped wedges
Bell peppers, red, orange & yellow have the most flavor

Or any other combination of vegetables you like!

To prepare:
Certain vegetables lend themselves to easy, quick grilling.

Our list of veggies need only be trimmed of stem ends and sliced for grilling. The key is to slice them thinly enough so that they cook evenly and quickly while still having a tad of firmness.

They may be brushed simply with oil and sprinkled with salt & pepper before and during grilling, or you can use our basic balsamic marinade/baste or your own favorite prepared vinaigrette-style dressing.

Note: You can serve this mixed grill with anything from bruschetta to rice to pasta and the leftovers make fabulous sandwiches on thick, crusty slices of French or Italian bread or rolled up on pita bread.

Here’s how to get the new season of Delicious TV’s Totally Vegetarian in your area:
Contact your local PBS Station to let them know you want them to telecast the new season of Delicious TV’s Totally Vegetarian and that it’s available for free through NETA, our distributor.

Go to the PBS station finder to e-mail your local station.

Please don’t delay! The first episode uplink for the third season, via satellite, will be on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2007.

Delicious TV’s Totally Vegetarian once again showcases the easiest, most scrumptious, and accessible vegetarian and vegan recipes you’re likely to find anywhere. Our website makes it possible for you to print one or all of the recipes, ask Toni questions about vegetarian food and diets, and even blog your own vegetarian favorites.

The show is fun and informative, and what’s more, the food is fabulous.

Here’s a preview recipe.

Spicy Chick Pea Salad with Basil and Pine nuts

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 T. red onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. red or yellow bell pepper, chopped (or mix red and yellow for added color)
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
1/4 c. fresh basil, cut into ribbons
1-2 T. chopped sundried tomato (optional)

2 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. fresh chili paste
Salt and pepper

Rinse beans and place into a bowl. Add the onion, peppers, pine nuts, and basil. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, pepper paste, and lemon juice until emulsified. Pour over the chickpeas and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a hearty slice of bread to mop up the juices, or alternatively, lightly mash the chick peas and serve on grilled or toasted bread as a bruschetta.