Arugula Salad with Grilled Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

By BobD

Sweet corn kernels take two different forms in these crispy cakes. Half the corn is pureed into the batter; the other half is sautéed with shiitake and onion to give the fritters crunch.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry white vermouth
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound mixed mushrooms—oyster, shiitake, portobello and cremini
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon very finely chopped shallot
• 4 ounces baby arugula
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (scant 1/4 cup)

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk the vermouth with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Trim the root ends of the oyster mushrooms, leaving them attached in small bunches. Discard the shiitake stems and leave the caps whole. Stem the portobellos. Wipe off the cremini. Add all of the mushrooms to the vermouth marinade, then toss and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring them occasionally.

Light a grill or preheat a broiler. Drain the mushrooms; reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade. Grill the mushrooms or broil them over high heat until browned and tender, about 15 minutes. Thickly slice the grilled mushrooms.

Add the vinegar and shallot to the large bowl and whisk in the reserved marinade to taste. Add the arugula and walnuts, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Transfer the arugula salad to plates, top with the grilled mushrooms and crumbled goat cheese and serve.