Portobello Veneto

A wonderful recipe for a first course choice or a main entree. Serving 2 as a main course or 4 as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

4 Large portobello mushrooms. Cleaned with gills removed. Chop and save stems
2 TBS butter, separated
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tsp basil, dried (fresh would be better if you have it and if so, use 1 TBS)
1 cup White wine
10 oz Premium Crab meat
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Asiago cheese
2 oz Goat cheese
1/8 tsp each: sage, thyme, rosemary: mixed together and put to the side.
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste.
16 Asparagus spears, marinated in 1 tsp lemon + 1 TBS olive oil + salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together the lemon and olive oil and pour on top of the cleaned and trimmed asparagus. Set aside.

Clean your mushrooms. Set aside the chopped stems. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 TBS butter (or olive oil). When hot, add the onions and cook 4 minutes. Add the basil and continue cooking 2 minutes. Add the wine, let boil to reduce slightly, about 4 – 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add the crab meat and your mushroom stems. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in breadcrumbs, asiago cheese, and goat cheese and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Melt the other 1 TBS butter, stir in the mixture of Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, and brush the inside of the mushroom cap with the melted butter herb mix. Salt and pepper to taste. Place the caps in a foil lined pan, lightly greased, and spoon the stuffing into the mushroom caps.

Mix together the drained tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and put about 2 TBS on top of stuffing mix on each mushroom cap. Cover each with 4 prepared asparagus spears. Bake for 20 minutes. Served with fresh peas.

What’s with the name?

Veneto is a region in the North of Italy. Here is a small excerpt from Wikipedia about the area and it’s well known capital, Venice.

Veneto is an important wine-growing area. Among the best wines can be remembered: Soave, Bardolino, Recioto, Amarone, Torcolato, Prosecco, Tocai Rosso,Garganega, and Valpolicella. Other, more common wines are Verduzzo, Raboso, Moscato, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Nero, Pinot Grigio, and Merlot. Homemade wine making is widespread. After making wine, the alcohol of the pressed grapes is distilled to produce grappa or graspa, as it is called in the local language.

Among the best-known cheeses of Veneto the following should be mentioned: Asiago (PDO) (from Asiago), Monte Veronese (PDO), Piave (PDO), Morlacco, Grana Padano (PDO).

The sopressa vicentina (PDO) is an aged salami, cylindrical in shape and prepared with raw, quality pork meat. It may or may not include garlic in its ingredients and comes in medium and large sizes. ProsciuttoVeneto Berico-Euganeo (PDO) is obtained from the fresh meat of a top breed of adult hogs. The aroma is delicate, sweet and fragrant.

Radicchiorosso di Treviso (PGI) is a peculiar vegetable with a faintly bitter taste and a crunchy texture. The production area encompasses many town districts in the provinces of Treviso, Padua and Venice. The radicchioVariegato di Castelfranco (PGI) has a delicate and slightly sweet taste and a crunchy texture. Veronese Vialone Nano Rice from Verona (PGI) is a type of rice with short, plump grains, which have a creamy consistency when cooked. They are commonly used in risotto dishes and have a high starch content. The Bean of Lamon (PGI) is particularly prized for its delicate flavour and extremely tender skin. The White Asparagus of Cimadolmo (PGI) has a characteristic scent and a very delicate taste. The White Asparagus of Bassano is a typical product of the northern part of the province of Vicenza. The San Zeno di Montagna (Verona) chestnut is another remarkable product. The town of Marostica is famous for its cherries.