Ingredients
Green Olive Pesto:
- 1-1/2 cups large green olives, pitted
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup pinenuts
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Hodgepodge:
- 1/4 pound chanterelles, brushed clean, cut in 1/2
- 1/4 pound cremini, brushed clean, cut in 1/2
- 1/4 pound oyster mushrooms, brushed clean, cut in 1/2
- 1/4 pound yellow foot mushrooms, brushed clean, cut in 1/2
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon crushed red chili flakes (optional)
- 4 scallions, green and white cut into 1-inch long pieces (about 2/3 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 canned plum tomatoes cut in 1/2
- 1 cup Basic Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices Italian peasant bread cut in 1-inch thick slices, grilled
- 1 cup Green Olive Pesto
Directions
To make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the olives, onion, pine nuts, and garlic, and blend for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until it forms a thick, smooth paste. Allow to stand 1/2 hour before using.
In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, place the chanterelles, crimini, oyster, and yellow foot mushrooms, the red onion, chili flakes, scallions, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add wine after 8 minutes of cooking. Lower the heat so that the mixture simmers, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat the grill or broiler.
After simmering, the mushroom mixture should be thick, like a ragu. Season the hodgepodge, to taste, with salt and pepper, and pour into a large, shallow serving bowl.
Toast the bread and smear with the green olive pesto. Stand the crostini at fun angles in middle of mushroom hodge-podge and serve immediately in center of table. Serve on top of grilled bread.
Basic tomato sauce:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
- 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
- Salt
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Yield: 4 cups
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Inactive time: 20 minutes
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By sara_11885937
Brooklyn, NY
on May 26, 2009
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This has been a staple in our house for years. It is THE crowd pleaser and easy to make for a group. Everyone gets addicted to the olive pesto. Absolutely a great recipe. Every element is essential, don't leave out the fresh tasting scallions. There's an earthiness in the mushrooms, saltiness in the tomato sauce, fresh onions, a little heat, crunchy bread (don't use pasta instead!, and the loving olive pesto.
Some tips: Only needs half the tomato sauce recipe. You can make it with any kind of various mushrooms (which he says in the TV version. You may want to double the olive pesto since it's a great snack, and people always want more in the morning. One confusing thing in the recipe are the "crostini" mentioned; I don't know what this is referring to but I ignore it.
By bn61079_1902440
Milford, MA
on January 15, 2009
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It's always amazing how sometimes the most simplistic recipes are the most delicious. I used a mixture of button, oyster, and crimini mushrooms, and substituted a can of drained diced tomatoes for the plum tomatoes. It has quite a kick to it, which my husband and I enjoyed, but made it inedible to our little ones. We tried some with the olive spread and some without, and I found the olive mixture enhances the flavors of the mushrooms. A true comfort food- loved it.
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