GRATIN OF POLENTA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND MASCARPONE

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 lbs.)
2 large onions, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
salt to taste
1 3/4 cups coarse polenta
3 cups water
3 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup mascarpone
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and place the halves cut side down in a lightly oiled non-stick baking pan. Roast in a 375° oven for about an hour, or until soft. Scoop the squash out of its skin, measure out 2 cups, and puree or mash well with a potato masher.

While the squash is roasting, heat one tablespoon oil and the butter in a non-stick pan. Add the chopped onion and a sprinkle of salt, and cook gently, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown.

In a large pot, combine the polenta, water and vegetable broth. If the broth is not very salty, add about half a teaspoon salt. Stir well to break up lumps, and simmer the polenta for half an hour, stirring often. It will be very thick.

Add the pureed squash, caramelized onions, mascarpone and half the parmesan cheese to the polenta and mix everything together thoroughly - a large, strong whisk is perfect for this. Taste the polenta and add salt as needed.

Spoon the polenta into an oiled gratin dish and smooth the top. If you like, you can score it in patterns with a fork. Drip the remaining olive oil over the polenta, and sprinkle on the remaining parmesan. (At this point, the polenta can be tightly covered and refrigerated for several hours or even a day.)

Bake the polenta gratin in a 350° oven for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on whether it's warm or cold when you put it in the oven. The top should be lightly browned.

Serve hot, with roasted wild mushrooms, or any roasted vegetables.

Serves 8, or more if several other dishes are being served..

Porcini are not always easy to find, but they add an indispensable flavor to this dish. Sometimes porcini can be ordered from restaurant suppliers, occasionally they can be found at a farmer's market, and I recently got lucky and found jars of excellent porcini in olive oil. (I bought every jar I could get my hands on.)

2 lbs. mixed mushrooms: portobellos, shiitakes and Italian browns
1 lb. porcini (or as many as you can get)
2 large onions
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup Marsala, more if needed
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable broth as needed

Clean all the mushrooms carefully, washing off the sand and grit. Trim the stems if they are woody or stringy. Cut the portobellos into thick strips, and the large shiitakes and browns into halves - leave smaller ones whole. Treat the porcini the same way, cutting only the large ones. Use as much as possible of the thick porcini stems.

Cut the onions in half and slice them thickly. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently with your hands, lifting and dropping until all the mushrooms are coated.

Put the mushrooms in a large baking pan, and cover tightly with foil. Roast at 375° for 45 minutes, then remove the foil, stir the mushrooms around, and continue roasting uncovered for another 20 to 30 minutes. You might have to add a spoonful of vegetable broth or a bit more Marsala if the the mushrooms are drying out. There should not be much liquid left in the pan, but enough to coat the mushrooms and keep them moist.

Serve the roasted mushrooms hot, with polenta or risotto.

Serves 8.