Excerpted from Cindy Pawlcyn's "Big Small Plates"
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Serves 6

When we invented this tamale, we were trying for a new vegetarian entrée, and this is what we came up with. We used grits instead of masa for the dough, and chard leaves instead of corn husks for the wrapper to give a dark color contrast to the grits; then we used our imaginations when it came to the filling. It worked, people loved it, and it has been on Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen menu ever since.

All tamales are celebratory dishes, perfect for serving at parties, small or large. This recipe doubles and triples really well, which makes it a great choice for a big party or fiesta. Both the tamales and the sauce can be made a day ahead, which is another plus. Both should be refrigerated, and the tamales need to be well wrapped first. One tamale per person would be a nice three- to four-bite treat to serve along with two or three other small plates.

If you can't find hen-of-the-woods mushrooms for the filling, you could use dried or fresh porcinis, or all chanterelles—even simple button mushrooms would work. If you want a milder salsa, go for the jalapeño instead of the habanero. The habanero is my first choice, though, because it lends a great flavor—sweet and floral. Altogether you only need one habanero for the whole recipe.

When picking out the Swiss chard leaves you want ones that are perfect and, once the ribs are removed, about the size of your outstretched hand. If you can't find six like this, you will need extra for patching.

Filling

• 11/2 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup sliced chanterelle mushrooms
• 3/4 cup sliced hen-of-the-woods mushrooms
• 1/4 onion, thinly julienned
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 habanero chile, seeded and minced
• 11/2 to 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
• 1/2 tomato, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped toasted almonds
• 1 to 11/2 tablespoons golden raisins

Grits

• 11/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 or 2 slices habanero chile, minced (optional)
• 11/4 cups (or more) water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup grits
• 1/3 cup finely grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 11/2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Yucatecan Tomato Salsa

• 3 1/2 medium-size tomatoes
• 11/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/3 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 habanero or jalapeño chile
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• 6 large, perfect Swiss chard leaves (a few extra if not perfect), tough ribs removed
• 1 tablespoon butter, for the salsa
• Minced fresh parsley
• Chopped toasted almonds

For the filling, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly caramelized. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes more, or until it is very tender. Season with the salt and pepper, then add the habanero and serrano chiles and garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the diced tomato, almonds, and raisins and simmer 5 minutes, until reduced but not dry. The sauce should coat the vegetables and not pool. Allow the mixture to cool.

To make the grits, heat the butter in a big pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and the chile and sauté till tender and aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water, cream, and salt; stir and bring to a boil. Pour in the grits in a slow stream, stirring as you go. Cook until the mixture has thickened and the grits are tender, 2 to 3 minutes for instant grits, 6 to 8 minutes for regular store-bought grits, and 20 minutes for stone-ground grits (check out the directions on the package). Add additional water if necessary. Remove from the heat, stir in the cheeses, and pour out onto a plate to cool.

For the salsa, griddle or broil the tomatoes until tender and well charred, turning to ensure all sides are done. At home I do this in a small cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. You could probably use a nonstick pan, too. Whatever method you choose, don't use any oil. When cool to the touch, remove any very blackened pieces of skin, mash the tomatoes coarsely, and set aside. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion 4 to 6 minutes without allowing it to brown, cooking until it is soft. Add the mashed tomatoes, chile, and salt and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock and cook about 6 minutes more over medium heat, until nice and saucy. Set aside until needed.

To prepare the chard wrappers, bring a pot of water to a boil. Carefully (so as not to tear them) dunk a few leaves of chard into the water for 20 seconds or so, just till wilted. Remove them, and immediately dip them in an ice bath to keep them from cooking further. Repeat with the remaining leaves. Drain and reserve.

To make the tamales, lay out a chard leaf on the counter. Overlap the 2 edges of the leaf where you removed the tough rib. Spread a large spoonful (one-sixth of the batch) of grits on the bottom third of the leaf, leaving enough space at the bottom and on the sides to get a nice seal when rolling. Top the grits with some of the filling. Now fold up the bottom, fold in the sides, and roll from bottom to top. The tamales should be about 3 inches long and 11/2 inches wide, though you could press them out into 3-inch squares. Repeat to make the rest of the tamales. If you're making them ahead, cover and refrigerate.

To finish the tamales, steam them over very slowly simmering water until nice and hot, 12 to 15 minutes. Reheat the salsa, swirling in 1 tablespoon of butter at the last minute and removing the chile. Ladle some hot salsa on each plate, top it with a tamale, and sprinkle over some minced parsley and toasted almonds.