Best Herb And Tomato Polenta Recipes

Herb and Tomato Polenta image

Provided by Katie Lee Biegel

Time 45m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Cooked Polenta, recipe follows
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk, as needed
Zest of 1 lemon
4 to 6 leaves fresh basil, torn
Pinch of baking soda
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups medium-grind stone-ground cornmeal

Steps:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they start to blister and release some of their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss in the garlic and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook another 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
In a saucepan over low heat, stir the Parmesan and butter into the Cooked Polenta, thinning with milk as desired. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon zest, taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
Transfer the polenta to a serving bowl. Use a spoon to create a shallow well and top with the tomatoes, torn basil, some black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, add the baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pour the cornmeal into the water in a very slow stream from a measuring cup, all the while whisking in a circular motion to prevent lumps.
Cook, vigorously stirring the polenta with a wooden spoon for about 10 seconds once every 5 minutes and making sure to scrape clean the bottom and corners of the pot, until the polenta has lost its raw cornmeal taste and becomes soft and smooth, about 30 minutes. If the polenta looks like it's drying out too quickly, continue cooking with the lid on. Cooked Polenta recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro.

HERB AND FETA POLENTA TOPPED WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE image

Yield 16 polenta rounds

Number Of Ingredients 17

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, curshed
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons polenta or yellow cornmeal, about 2 oz.
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces
A small handful of dill, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 - 16 pitted black olives, sliced, to serve
TOMATO TAPENADE:
2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, soaked overnight in warm water with 1 tablespoon vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 red serrano chile, seeded
A small handful of basil leaves
A baking pan, 8-inches square, well greased
A cookie cutter, 2-inches diameter

Steps:

To make the tapenade, put the soaked tomatoes in a blender with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chile, and basil. Process until fairly smooth. To make the polenta, put the butter, oil, garlic, and scallions in a saucepan and cook for 10 minutes until the onions are translucent. Pour in 1 1/4 cups boiling water, then add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking all the time to stop lumps forming. Continue cooking according to the instructions on the polenta package. Stir in the feta and dill, add salt and pepper to taste, then pour into the prepared pan. Chill in the refrigerator overnight. Cut out 16 rounds with the cookie cutter. Top each round with a generous spoonful of tapenade and a few slices of black olives, then serve.