Helen makes this dish for Thanksgiving every year. Though cranberries are in season roughly from October through December — which is when you are likely to make this — we prefer dried berries for their concentrated sweetness, so focused that even when they are chopped into small bits, you taste it in every bite.

Try to make this dish with naturally grown, hand-harvested wild rice. Despite its name, 80 to 90 percent of wild rice is actually commercially cultivated; therefore, it can be laced with pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizer. It also doesn't compare to the nutty, sweet flavor of the real thing.

1. Bring two pots of salted water to a gentle boil over high heat. Add the wild rice to one pot, and cook until tender but not mushy, 30 minutes to 1 hour. After 20 minutes, add the oats to the other pot and cook until tender, approximately 15 minutes, Check both occasionally as they cook.

2. Meanwhile, put the cranberries in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Set aside.

3. Heat the canola oil in a sautépan set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they soften and begin to release their liquid, 8 to 10 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and transfer to a serving bowl.

4. Add the walnuts, shallots, and parsley to the bowl containing the mushrooms. When the cranberries are soft, drain them and add them to the bowl. When the oats and wild rice are tender, drain them and add them to the bowl.

5. When all the ingredients have been added, drizzle the mixture with the walnut oil and toss gently. Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve while still warm or at room temperature.

Recipe © 2004 Alfred Portale. All rights reserved.
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