Italian Home Cooking and Entertaining

½ onion thinly sliced
¾ oz. Dried porcini mushrooms (pre-soaked in warm water and coarsely chopped)
8 oz. Crimini or champignon mushrooms
2 T. minced parsley
18 oz. prepared polenta (in tube form)
3 T. olive oil
salt
pepper
Cut the roll of polenta in ¼”slices. Place the slices on a cookie sheet and bake in oven at 450F until slightly browned (they should be crispy outside but soft inside; approx. 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, sauté the sliced onion in the olive oil. Add the porcini mushrooms. Add the chopped crimini mushrooms and the parsley. Add salt and ground black pepper. Cover and let simmer for approximately 15 minutes. If the mushrooms get too dry you can add a little of the water you soaked the mushrooms in. (Be careful, though, because using too much of it will make the mushrooms taste bitter.)

Remove the baked polenta slices from oven and top with the mushroom mixture. Serve immediately.

Wine tip: A red Chianti or a California Cabernet Sauvignon will enhance the earthy taste of the crostini.