Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

1 pound veal hip or top round, cut into 8 pieces, pounded to 1/8-inch thickness
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup Basic Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup Marinated Mushrooms, recipe follows, drained
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
8 slices prosciutto, roughly the same diameter as scaloppine
1 bunch Italian parsley, leaves finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup

Season each piece of veal with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.

In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the oil until smoking. Add 4 pieces dredged veal and cook until light golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and continue with the remaining pieces. When second batch is browned, add the first batch back to the pan and add the tomato sauce, wine, mushrooms, lemon juice and capers and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is quite tight.

Place a slice of prosciutto on top of each piece of veal. Remove the veal to a platter, add the parsley, and pour the sauce over meat. Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve.

Basic Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
Salt

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot, and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Yield: 4 cups

Marinated Mushrooms

3 to 4 pounds wild mushrooms, such as porcini, chanterelles, or hen of the woods (you may substitute 1 1/2 pounds portobellos, 2 pounds shiitake and 1 pound cremini)
3 cups good white wine vinegar
1 bottle good dry white wine
4 fresh bay leaves
1 stem rosemary
1 tablespoon hot chili flakes
10 black peppercorns
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 quarts extra-virgin olive oil

Equipment

3 quart jars with lids, cleaned and sterilized*

Clean the mushrooms of any dirt with a soft brush or a cloth, but do not wash with water. Trim the stems of the wild mushrooms and cut them into pieces of the same size. If using, portobellos, cut the caps into quarters, cut the stems into 1/2-inch thick rectangles, and set aside. If using shiitakes, remove the stems, leave the caps whole, and set aside. If using cremini, halve them and set aside.

Pour the vinegar and the wine into a stainless steel, 8-quart saucepan. Add the bay leaves, rosemary, chili flakes, peppercorns, and salt, and bring to a boil. Add all of the mushrooms and, once the solution has returned to a boil, cook for 20 minutes. Drain the mushrooms in a colander, discarding the aromatics, and pour them out onto a stack of kitchen towels to drain and dry well, about 30 minutes.

Divide the mushrooms among the 3 jars, placing 3 or 4 peppercorns and a pinch of chile flakes in each jar. Fill each of the jars with oil to the very top and refrigerate overnight. The mushrooms will absorb oil the first couple of nights, so it will be necessary to "top off" the oil after 3 or 4 days.

Seal the jars with the caps and allow the mushrooms to marinate a week before serving. In Italy, these mushrooms could easily rest 6 weeks before they're served. They are, however, ready after 4 days, and could be consumed as early as the first day following their marinating. To serve, bring a jar to room temperature, and place some of the mushrooms into a bowl with a little of the oil and a plate of grilled bread rubbed with garlic on the side.

*Note: Properly-handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.

Tips

Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.

To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.

Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.

As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.

After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 7 days
Ease of preparation: intermediate