{ raw vegan, gluten-free, serves 4-5 as main dish }
Perfect for a cold winter night’s dinner. Even in Florida. Yes, it’s cold here.
I enjoy any opportunity to turn my favorite cookware into uncookware, and these cute little mini cocottes were the perfect dehydrator-to-table servers for polenta. These cocottes in particular are made of cast iron, so they do a great job of absorbing and maintaining even, gentle heat. When the polenta and mushrooms are covered during the last hour of dehydration, each portion is perfectly warm and satisfying.
For the polenta:
2 cups fresh or fresh frozen corn
1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked for 4 hours
1/2 cup cashews, soaked at least 4 hours
1 green onion, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp lemon juice
1 big garlic clove
1 tsp sea salt
good pinch crushed red pepper flakes
a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
Put pine nuts, cashews, salt, and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely crumbled. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth, like creamy cornmeal. Spoon about 1/2 cup each polenta into ramekins, cocottes, or a ring mold. Dehydrate for 4 hours at 115º until polenta becomes slightly firmer and crusty on top.
For the mushrooms:
8 oz. shiitake mushroom caps, sliced about 1/4″ thick
7 oz. royal trumpet mushrooms, sliced lengthwise about 1/4″ thick
3.5 oz. beech mushrooms, separated and whole
1/4 cup arugula, finely chopped
2 tbsp shallot, finely minced
2 tbsp celery, minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well and let marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hours. Transfer to a lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 115º for about 2 hours, until mushrooms become chewy and “cooked” in texture.
For the porcini gravy:
3 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups very warm filtered water
1/4 cup cashew milk
1 tbsp marsala wine (optional)
1/2 celery stalk, cut into chunks
1 tbsp coarsely chopped shallot
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sea salt
a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
Soak the porcinis in the water until very soft, about 2 hours. Drain and save 1 cup soaking liquid. Combine the mushrooms, 1 cup of soaking liquid, and all other ingredients in a food processor until very smooth. Pour into a bowl and place at the bottom of a dehydrator for about 3 hours, until the liquid reduces and slightly thickens.
To serve:
Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and stir in about 3/4 to 1 cup of the gravy, or desired amount. Then spoon mushrooms over the polenta and serve If using cocottes or ramekins, cover and heat in the dehydrator before serving.
<3, JMK
