Wild Mushroom & Cornbread Panzanella Salad Recipe

Over the past several years, I have managed to get myself black-listed from several parties. This is not because I dance on the tables, consume all of the top-shelf tequila, or hog the karaoke microphone (okay, maybe I have sung Total Eclipse of the Heart one too many times). Rather, it is because I am annoyingly preachy about recycling. If someone even edges towards the garbage can with an empty soda can, I immediately direct them towards the recycling receptacle with a gentle lecture on the benefits of proper trash distribution. Yes, I am one of those people. Maybe I should just stick to the karaoke.

While visiting my parents in Victoria, Canada last week, we took a short drive up Vancouver Island to the Cowichan Valley, which is home to a whole host of wineries, organic farms, and environmentally-minded people. In fact, I think owning a copy of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth is a pre-requisite to buying a house there. Perhaps I could get into one of their parties without a bribe. Besides visiting the charming and prolific farm, Organic Fair, run by a fellow food blogger (I will tell you about her farm in a future post), we also stopped at the farmer's market held in the town of Duncan each Saturday morning. Duncan, a quaint and vibrant town, is known as the City of Totems for the 80 totem poles, carved by the First Nations people, that grace the town.

(This totem actually stands in Victoria, but you get the picture.)

While at the farmer's market, we happened upon a stand that made me drool with anticipation. Untamed Feast is a company run by Eric and Michelle Whitehead.

With sheer determination, dedication to their product, and a whole lot of hard work, they forage for wild mushrooms in the forests of British Columbia and beyond. From their site: "The mushrooms are harvested from the wild, hand sliced and dried the same day, on site, in a mobile mushroom dryer." The mushrooms are then packaged and sold in delis and stores in Victoria and Vancouver, and by mail order. After tasting these earthy and ethereal (yes, heaven and earth met in one little package) specimens in this classic Tuscan bread salad, I was sorry that I did not purchase more. Yet another excuse to travel to the Pacific Northwest.

Cornbread:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup yellow cornmeal, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk, 2 large eggs, ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted, melted, and cool butter, ½ cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.

Coat a 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan. Using a spatula to spread the top evenly.

Tap the pan sharply on the counter and put in the oven. Bake until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Place on a rack and cool in the pan.

Turn the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice half of the cornbread into ¾-inch slices and each slice into ¾-inch pieces. Reserve the rest of the cornbread for another use (such as eating).

Place the cornbread cubes on a baking sheet and place in the oven until the edges are starting to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Mushrooms:
Place ¾ oz. dried wild mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with 3 cups warm water. Soak for at least 3 hours or overnight to reconstitute. Strain the mushrooms and reserve the soaking water for another use (great for risotto).

Slice 8 medium cremini mushrooms. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the cremini and wild mushrooms, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage. Saute until the mushrooms are cooked and just starting to turn brown. Stir in ½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

The salad:
Tear one small head red leaf lettuce into a large bowl. Add the cornbread cubes and mushrooms. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss. Serve immediately.

Wild Mushroom Cornbread Panzanella Salad
Cornbread adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Cornbread:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 large eggs
½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage

Mushrooms:
¾ oz. dried wild mushrooms
3 cups warm water
8 medium-sized cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small head red-leaf lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cornbread:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and sage. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.

Coat a 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan. Using a spatula to spread the top evenly. Tap the pan sharply on the counter and put in the oven. Bake until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Place on a rack and cool in the pan.

Turn the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice half of the cornbread into ¾-inch slices and each slice into ¾-inch pieces. Reserve the rest of the cornbread for another use (such as eating). Place the cornbread cubes on a baking sheet and place in the oven until the edges are starting to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

The mushrooms:
Place wild mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with 3 cups warm water. Soak for at least 3 hours or overnight to reconstitute. Strain the mushrooms and reserve the soaking water for another use (great for risotto).

In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the cremini and wild mushrooms, and sage. Saute until the mushrooms are cooked and just starting to turn brown. Stir in ½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

The salad:
Put lettuce pieces in a large bowl. Add the cornbread cubes and mushrooms. In a small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

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