Recipe: Vegetable Cannelloni (using fresh ginger)

VEGETABLE CANNELLONI
Source: Food and Wine Magazine
Makes 8 first-course servings

4 dried black or shitake mushrooms
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 pound bok choy, stems reserved for another use and leaves finely chopped
4 scallions, minced plus 2 thinly sliced scallions for garnish
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large eggs yolk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt
24 wonton skims
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons hot Mushroom Broth (recipe follows)

Soak mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and discard the stems. Finely dice the mushroom caps.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the bok choy, minced scallions and ginger and saut over moderately high heat until wilted. Stir in the mushrooms. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Stir in the ricotta, egg yolk, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil; stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Dip the wonton skins in the water one at a time and then spread them out on a clean towel.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a pastry brush, grease an 8-by-11-inch baking dish with some of the melted butter.

Spoon 1 Tablespoon of the vegetable filling into the center of each wonton skin and roll up to form a log. Place the cannelloni in a single layer, just touching, in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with the remaining butter and 2 Tablespoons of the Mushroom Broth.

Bake the cannelloni for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Place 3 cannelloni in each soup plate and spoon 1/4 cup Mushroom Broth around each serving. Garnish with the sliced scallions and serve.

MUSHROOM BROTH
Makes 4 cups

2 ounces dried black or shitake mushrooms
1 Tablespoon canola oil
3 Tablespoons minced shallots
10 ounces white mushrooms, quartered
2 quarter-size slices of fresh ginger

In a small bowl, soak the dried mushrooms in 2 cups of warm water until soft, 10-15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Add the white mushrooms and ginger. Stir in the dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid along with 5 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over moderate heat until the broth is reduced to 4 cups, about 40 minutes. Strain the broth.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
The broth can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.