POLENTA WITH FENNEL, PEPPERS, TOMATOES AND CHEESE

Polenta With Fennel, Peppers, Tomatoes And Cheese image

Provided by Marian Burros

Time 30m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 16-ounce fennel bulb
1 teaspoon olive oil
16 ounces whole red pepper or 14 ounces chopped ready-cut red peppers (4 cups)
8 ounces ripe tomatoes
8 large black Greek olives
3 1/2 cups no-salt-added vegetable stock or broth
3/4 cup instant or fine ground polenta
2 ounces plus Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, to make about 3/4 cup coarsely grated
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Wash and trim the top branches and the bottom from the fennel. Slice the fennel bulb very thinly into rounds, and then slice the rounds into julienne strips.
Heat a medium-large nonstick skillet until it is very hot; add oil, reduce heat and stir in the fennel, cooking until fennel begins to brown and soften.
Wash, trim, seed and thinly slice the peppers, and cut slices into small pieces; add to fennel, and continue to saute over medium heat.
Wash, trim and cut up tomatoes; add to vegetables when peppers have begun to soften.
Pit and cut up olives, and add. Cover the pot; reduce heat to simmer, and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender.
In covered pot, boil stock.
Grate cheese.
Slowly stir polenta into boiling stock, reduce heat to medium-high and cook until mixture thickens, just a couple of minutes.
When polenta is cooked, stir in the cheese, season with salt and pepper, and top with the vegetables.