(Thanks to John Ash 1999)

This recipe uses a wonderful cheese made by Bellwether Farms in Northern California, called Crescenza. It is a soft ripening cheese that has a rich buttery flavor with a bit of tartness. It’s a great “melter” and delicious both young and with some age. This is a wonderful non-meat entrée that also brings together both hot and cold elements in the same dish - a combination that I don’t think we use enough in American cooking. Stacks can be assembled an hour or two ahead.

12 fingerling or creamer potatoes, 2 ½ - 3 ounces each
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large Portabella mushrooms (1 pound total)
6 ounces Crescenza

2 cups lightly packed young peppery greens such as watercress, upland cress and/or arugula
Rice vinegar – Sesame Vinaigrette

Garnish: Tiny diced red and yellow peppers which have been briefly blanched and basil oil.

Scrub potatoes well, pat dry and then coat with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Roast potatoes in a preheated 375° oven for 15-20 minutes or until just cooked through. Cool and quarter lengthwise.

Remove stem and scrape black gills from the portabellas. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill. Pan griil or roast until just cooked through. Cool and slice each mushroom into 12 thick slices.
To construct a stack lightly oil a baking sheet and arrange 4 quarters of potato intersperced with 3 slices of mushroom side by side in the same direction. Top with half ounce or so of the cheese and then arrange another layer at right angles to the first. Finish with a top layer of potatoes and a dollop of cheese. Constuct 3 more stacks in the same manner. When ready to serve place baking sheet in a preheated 400° oven for 6 to 8 minutes to heat vegetables through and to barely melt the cheese. While vegetables are heating toss the greens with the vinaigrette. Place a stack on a heated plate and top with a quarter of the dressed greens. Scatter the diced peppers around and drizzle the plate with the basil oil. Serve immediately.