Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 pound mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 batch buckwheat or cornmeal blini
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes. Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to sweat, and add the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often over medium heat, for five minutes until the mushrooms are tender and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, and taste and adjust the seasonings. There should be very little liquid in the pan. If there is, continue to simmer uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the dill, and serve.
Yield: Enough to serve 12 as a topping for blini, four to six as a side dish.
Advance preparation: The mushroom caviar keeps for about four days in the refrigerator, and it’s even better the day after you make it.
Nutritional information per serving (12 servings): 148 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 37 milligrams cholesterol; 19 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 234 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 6 grams protein
Martha Rose Shulman is the author of "The Very Best of Recipes for Health."
