Wild Sauteed Mushroom Salad with Spicy Spinach Sauté & Basil and Mint

ASSEMBLE THESE SUPPLIES:

2 cups arugula leaves

2 cups lamb's tongue, Boston, or other young lettuce leaves

1/4 cup basil leaves

2 tablespoons mint leaves

2/3 pound fresh wild mushrooms, preferably chanterelles, shiitake, enokitake, or fresh cultivated mushrooms

1 cup olive oil

3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

STEPS IN PREPARATION:

Rinse arugula, lamb's tongue, basil, and mint, and dry in salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels. Place in large bowl and set aside.Wipe mushrooms clean with damp paper towels. With chef's knife, slice mushrooms into 3/4-inch strips. In large sauté pan, heat V2 cup oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring with wooden spatula, just until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add shallots, and sauté just until tender. Stir in lemon juice and season mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mushroom mixture to bowl. Using 2 wooden spoons, toss the salad greens with the remaining Y2 cup oil and the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide greens among 4 dinner plates, arranging them on one side of plate, and top each bed of greens with a portion of mushrooms.

 For Spicy Spinach Sauté

ASSEMBLE THESE SUPPLIES:

1 pound spinach

1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, or 1/2 teaspoon red
pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper

STEPS IN PREPARATION:

 
Stem spinach leaves. Rinse thoroughly under cold run­ning water, drain in colander, and dry in salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels. In large sauté pan, heat half the oil over medium-low heat. Add half the spinach leaves and turn heat to medium- high. Add half the garlic and cook, tossing with 2 wooden spoons, until oil begins to crackle, about 1 minute. Add 4 tablespoons water and toss. Add half the Cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste and continue to toss until spinach is wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to sieve and press with back of spoon to extract excess liquid. Place in large heatproof bowl and keep warm in 200-degree oven. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Divide among individual plates, forming bed for scallops