Dinner at CoHousing

Tonight Melissa from the Free Press is coming by to do an article on Burlington CoHousing during one of our community meal nights (these happen on the even numbered days of the month). A couple of weeks ago, the neighbor who had set this up asked me to be the lead cook. This means determining the menu, arranging for the food shopping, and then coordinating a team of 3 or 4 to do the prep and the clean-up.

When I spoke with Melissa when we first scheduled this, she told me she was hoping for a holiday sort of theme since that would play well this time of year. I scratched my head for a couple of days, and started poring over the November Gourmet again and came up with the idea of "The Meal I Couldn't Force Other People to Cook For Me." Which I thought was a super idea but then Melissa pointed out that the Freeps couldn't print a current recipe from a major food magazine.

Oh. Right.

Have I mentioned that this is Melissa Pasanen, author of the incredibly beautiful, delicious, and terribly well-reviewed Cooking with Shelburne Farms? I mean, like, no pressure!

So after taking a deep breath, I looked at the menu again, and realized I could make the main course into an original recipe, which technically happens if you change four things. Which means that tonight my team and I will be cooking:

Mushroom, White Bean & Roasted Garlic Pie
Serves 8

1 C. small white beans, dried (or 1 15 oz. can, drained)
3 C. water
1 T. unsalted butter
1 T. olive oil
2-4 garlic cloves from 1 head roasted garlic,* chopped into smaller pieces
9 scallions, finely chopped, divided
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
1 lb. mixed mushrooms (white, cremini, portobello), sliced
1/4 c. dry Madeira (I don't have this around and it's too cold to go out so I'll be using a mix of port and dry red wine)
1 C. whole milk ricotta
1 lb. pkg. frozen puff pastry, thawed (recipe calls for all-butter - maybe your grocery store sells this but not mine)
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 t. water and a pinch of salt

If using dried beans (cheaper, better texture, and not filled with salt like canned, so do this if you can), cook them either by soaking overnight and then cooking in 3 cups of water until tender, or by placing on high in a crockpot for 5 or 6 hours or until tender but firm. (Since I'm quadrupling this recipe, the crockpot definitely made since today.) Drain well and set aside.

Melt butter in a 12-in. heavy skillet over medium heat. Add half the chopped scallions, and cook 2 - 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme and garlic, 1 t. salt, 1/2 t. pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until just softened. Add Madeira (or whatever crazy thing you're going to substitute) and simmer for 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in drained beans and cool completely.

Stir in ricotta, remaining scallions, and taste for salt and pepper.

While filling cools, roll out pastry. If it's in one piece, cut into 2 equal pieces. Roll each out on a lightly floured surface into an 11" square. Stack on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a piece of parchment between them. Cover with plastic wrap and cool for 30 minutes.

Put a large baking sheet on rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400.

Set aside one pastry square on parchment. Spread cooled filling evenly over pastry on the baking sheet, leaving one-inch border all around. Brush border with a bit of egg wash, and use the parchment to invert the second square on top, pressing lightly to seal the border. Brush top with remaining egg wash, then crimp border with a fork and trim with pizza wheel or sharp knife.

Cut a few small steam vents in top of pie and decoratively score pastry. Slide pie on parchment onto preheated baking sheet in oven and bake until puffed and deep golden brown, about 45 minutes.

The picture here? Of the professionally photographed original recipe. I'll post mine from the actual real-kitchen version tomorrow, and will report on the results.