For the ragu: 

1 onion, small diced 

2 cups chopped or sliced mushrooms 

(I used a variety of shiitake, oyster, enoki and king trumpet (for garnish) 

2 cups mushroom stock 

1 tablespoon butter 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

A small bundle of thyme 

Start by reducing the stock in a medium sauce or sauté pan, we want this to drop to about 1/4-1/3 of a cup of liquid. It will naturally start to thicken as the water evaporates. Meanwhile, in another medium pan, melt your butter and start sweating your onions. When your onions become translucent, add in the thyme and the mushrooms. Just begin to brown and wilt the mushrooms, don’t overcook them; you still want them to have a bit of a bite. 

Unlike a traditional ragu, the cooking time on this is going to be much shorter. We don't have any tough cuts of meat or anything that need to be braised. When the mushrooms and onions start to dry out in the pan, add your reduced stock and balsamic and lower the heat to medium low. Let all those flavors really melt together and become homogeneous. This will only take about 2 minutes. When the sauce starts to thicken, turn the heat off and set it aside while you make your polenta. 

For the polenta: 

1 cup polenta or corn meal 

3 cups water/chicken stock/veg stock, whichever you please 

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, optional 

2-4 tablespoons butter 

2-4 tablespoons cream cheese 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Start by bringing your stock to a boil. You want to start with it hot so it starts cooking your polenta immediately. Polenta is a little like risotto, only it won’t take as long. I like to throw all the polenta in a dry pot first with the heat on high and keep moving it around. You don't want them to burn, just toast a little to add another level of subtle flavor (going back to that whole layering idea). Next, add about 2/3 of the liquid to the polenta and start whisking fast. Keep the heat at about medium high and just keep whisking until it starts to thicken. When it has just about doubled its thickness, add in the rest of the liquid and keep whisking. The polenta should start to become a little more runny, but still look grainy. Now we want to smooth it out and make it creamy. How do we do that you ask? With cheese, obviously. You can add in your 1/2 c of Parmesan but please, cook to your taste. You won't get in trouble for adding more! The butter keeps things velvety while my secret ingredient, cream cheese, is going to make it real rich and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Tags: comfort food, variety, mushroom, recipe, recipes, seasonal, earthy