POLENTA GRATIN WITH SAVORY VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Polenta
• Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with a thin coating of olive oil or butter.
• Bring the milk and 3 cups of water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly. Continue whisking or stirring until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Add a little more water if the polenta gets too thick (it should be loose enough to pour, but not runny). Stir in the salt, butter, and the Grana Padano cheese, and pour the mixture into the baking dish. Using a spatula, smooth the polenta into an even layer, 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. Gently press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the polenta and let it cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate it until needed. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.
• When all the vegetables are ready, top the polenta with the eggplant, then sprinkle with a little fontina cheese and spread the spinach on top. Arrange the mushrooms and garlic confit over the spinach, then a little more cheese. Finish with the red peppers and the remaining cheese.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, until the polenta is heated through. Serve with a tomato basil sauce if desired.
• If you are not serving the polenta immediately, let it cool for 15 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap, place another pan of the same size on top, and weight it down, using 3 or 4 pounds. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. Pressing the vegetables in this manner helps them meld with the polenta; however, you shouldn't use so much weight that you make a flat "pizza." This also makes the gratin easier to cut into neat squares. Then you can serve this dish as I do at the restaurant-simply reheat individual squares in the oven. Portions can also be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 2 months.
• Savory Vegetables Topping
• Prepare 2 recipes of Garlic Confit. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut them into strips or dice. Set aside. Place the eggplant in a large bowl with 1 cup of water, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Toss the eggplant well to coat, then transfer it to a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes (flipping once), or until golden brown and soft. Use a metal spatula to flip the eggplant once during cooking.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté them (in batches, if necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pan) until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season them with salt and pepper, then transfer to a plate and cool. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel, if necessary, and heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook, turning frequently with tongs, for 2-3 minutes, until just wilted. Use a strainer to drain it.