Darling Polenta Pizzas
We used pre-made polenta, purchased before we started making our own, so this was an ideal way to use it up and take advantage of the firmer texture of the store-bought variety. These would probably be even better with homemade polenta, packed in a loaf pan or spread onto a cookie sheet and left to firm up overnight. You can add any toppings you like, but we kept it simple since the polenta was already flavored with mushrooms and onions.
1 package (18oz.) mushroom and onion polenta, cut into 1/2" rounds2 Tbsp olive oil to coat polenta
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup tomato sauce (we used leftover homemade sauce)
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup other cheeses of your choice, diced to 1/2" pieces- we used a creamy Greek feta and a nice French brie (each pizza had one or the other)
1/4 cup washed, chopped basil leaves
1. Preheat the oven to 375, per polenta package instructions. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the polenta slices on the sheet. Brush the polenta with olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano, to taste.
2. Bake the polenta rounds about 15 minutes, till firm and slightly crispy. Meanwhile, grate the mozzarella, chop the basil, and slice the cheeses.
3. Spoon about 1 Tbsp of sauce atop each round. Sprinkle with mozzarella and the other cheese, top with basil. Bake another 5-8 minutes until gooey and melted.
Arugula Truffle Salad
It was a muggy late-June evening, so the chevre melted and slid to the bottom of the bowl, coating every leaf in gooey cheese flavor. I love the nutty tang of arugula, it adds a nice spice to a salad and complements the pecans really well. The lemon juice and green grapes are so cooling and evocative of summertime, and the grapes are a nice mild backdrop to the truffles. We finished off the entire bowl in one meal.
4 cups organic baby arugula
2 ounces Truffle chevre, crumbled (a new find at the Coop, but any chevre will do)
1 cup green seedless grapes, washed and halved
Handful of toasted pecans (baked in a conventional or toaster oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, watch to be sure they don't burn)
For the dressing:
1.5 tsp truffle oil (ours is an infusion in olive oil, so it's cheaper and less truffley)
Juice of one lemon (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tsp)
Cracked black pepper to taste
(this will be pretty tart and lemony, so you can dilute with white or infused vinegar, more oil, Dijon mustard, or use less lemon juice if you prefer it milder)
Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl and pour over the salad. Toss and enjoy!
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4 comments:
What mouth-watering combinations you've created! (And, I got a secret thrill when I saw the photos of your yummily covered cutting board and kitchen--I thought, Iris was JUST there, cutting those up...and I got all tingly inside). I made the PB cookies, they are AWESOME. Very sweet, so I downed almost 1/2 glass of milk per cookie, but they tasted great. I really loved the addition of the "autumn" spices, too. Keep it up! (PS: homemade polenta is the BEST--try layering it, cooked, w/ grated fontina and mozzarella cheeses. Bake it, then top w/simmered sauce made from italian spiced canned tomatoes, LOTS of fresh basil, a little bit of sugar and sauteed onions and garlic. YUM)
Also: do you know of any good eggplant recipes?
Gosh, I wish I had a good eggplant recipe, please let me know if you find one, I've tried curries and stews and can't get the texture right.
Thanks for the polenta tip, I love thinking about fontina melting in the pot.
Yes, the cookies are pretty sweet, which is why I wouldn't necessarily roll them in sugar unless you really like suger (like Elf).
Your tomato sauce sounds perfect, that's essentially what we used for our polenta pizzas. I just ate the leftovers for lunch, yum!
Polenta with homemade sauce and a punchy salad is so nice in the summer. I always had a vague memory of it...but I never had a recipe to recreate those childhood summer meals. Thanks!
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