I was asked to make a Sunday dinner when we were visiting friends in Mill Valley (California) last month. The days had been pretty chilly and damp so the menu was highlighted with a rich, winey beef stew BUT the star of the meal was the fresh porcini salad that began the feast. The porcini had been foraged from the Marin hills just the day before – they were huge, dense, meaty, earthy, and oh! so delicious. I gave them a quick sauté in extra virgin olive oil, laid them on some baby spinach leaves, sliced some ricotta salata over the top and drizzled the salad with a Meyer lemon vinaigrette. What could possibly be better – but it only works when you have a skilled forager knocking on your back door! I can assure you that this doesn’t happen in New York City.
judithchoate.com 