SAY CHEESE | A mix of Gorgonzola, fontina, Taleggio and Parmigiano-Reggiano makes this luscious dish as much fondue as polenta. Pernille Loof for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Jamie Kimm, Prop Styling by Stephanie Hanes

'FALL IS MY FAVORITE season," said Portland, Ore., chef Cathy Whims. "Everything tastes so amazing." This year has proved particularly good for one of Ms. Whims's favorite seasonal ingredients, chanterelle mushrooms. They always grow prolifically around Portland, but this September they sprouted early, and they have lingered. In her first Slow Food Fast contribution, Ms. Whims uses the fruity, golden mushroom in a ragout, spooned over a sumptuous four-cheese polenta.

The Chef: Cathy Whims

Cathy Whims John Valls

Her restaurants: Nostrana and Oven and Shaker, in Portland, Ore.

What she's known for: A self-described "born-again Italian," she uses the seasonal bounty of the Pacific Northwest in authentic regional recipes from all over Italy.

"You cook the mushrooms so they release their water. Then you cook them further, so their juice gets reabsorbed and they caramelize," Ms. Whims said. "It's something my mom used to make years and years ago, not with chanterelles but with button mushrooms. She got it from Richard Olney's 'Simple French Food,' but I think you would find the same thing in Italy."

At Ms. Whims's restaurants, Nostrana and Oven and Shaker, the cooking is authentically rustic. To ensure it stays that way, she travels to Italy a couple of times a year, collecting recipes like the one for this polenta, which she found in Torino. Made with Gorgonzola, fontina, Taleggio and Parmigiano-Reggiano, it is really equal parts polenta and fondue. "It's crazy rich," the chef said—and a heartwarming herald of the arrival of cool-weather cuisine.

—Kitty Greenwald

Four-Cheese Polenta With Chanterelle Ragout

Total Time: 25 minutes Serves: 4


1½ cups whole milk

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to season

2/3 cup instant polenta

3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, chopped into large pieces

3 ounces Taleggio cheese, rind removed and chopped into large pieces

3 ounces Fontina Val d'Aosta cheese, coarsely grated

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound chanterelle mushrooms, cut into ½-inch pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

10 sage leaves

1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature

What to Do

1. Make polenta: In a deep pot over medium heat, bring milk, water and salt to just under a boil. Slowly pour in polenta while constantly whisking. Once polenta is fully incorporated, reduce heat and gently simmer, whisking often, until grains are tender, about 5 minutes. Add water as necessary, to keep polenta loose. Add cheeses and stir until melted, about 3 minutes.

2. Make mushroom ragout: Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Once oil is very hot, add mushrooms and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté mushrooms until liquid is released, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking until liquid evaporates and mushrooms brown, about 8 minutes more. Add garlic and sage and sauté until aromatic, 1-2 minutes. Add butter and cook until melted, about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and serve mushrooms over polenta.