Calming Down

The last month has been crazy busy and I've felt like I've had so much on my place and nothing to do all at once. How does that happen? I guess after traveling, many of the things I had to do just felt too trivial or boring to actually consider them to be of any importance. But no worries, I'm out of my post-traveler's-melancholy and I'm back in school (one and a half weeks in). Now that I have a normal schedule, the blogs should be coming out more regularly. The more things I have to do, the more productive I get.

I've been obsessed with zucchini and yellow summer squash lately--probably because I can't resist these beautiful vegetables whenever I go to the farmer's market or the co-op. Browning them in a skillet with a little bit of salt and pepper is definitely my new favorite thing to do. I'm putting it in every dish imaginable! I also had a short lived obsession with orange cherry tomatoes, because there was such a bountiful supply of them at the co-op. Seriously, living so close to this place is going to be the death of me. Or at least my bank account (ignore that, mom and dad)! This meal is such an easy fix on hot nights, when I wanted to be using my new kitchen, but I also feel like exercising little-to-no movement plus having a delicious meal on the table. 

Summer Vegetable and Polenta Mess

Ingredients:
A few slices of prepared polenta
A handful of cherry tomatoes
A few chunks of garlic
1/4 a red bell pepper, sliced
A big handful of sliced zucchini and yellow summer squash
A big spoonful of marscarpone (cream cheese, craime fraiche or sour cream works as well)

Directions:
Fry up the polenta with some oil on both sides.
Meanwhile, brown the zucchini and squash. Add the garlic, pepper and finally the cherry tomatoes closer to the end. Season with salt and pepper.
To construct, dollop the marscarpone on the polenta, then top with the sauteed veggies.
Devour.

So simple. So beautiful. Perfect for the end of summer. I love using up all of my delicious vegetables and having it come out this good!

A Comforting Meal for a Cold, Cold Week

I tried this recipe a while ago, before I made Polenta from the dried cornmeal for the first time. For this meal, I used the already prepared kind. Though I made this from a log of polenta, I would definitely suggest making the Polenta from scratch like I did in my previous post and letting it set up and then slicing it up to make this dish. You can find the directions in that blog. I would probably make 1/2 cup of dried Polenta to make a good amount for this casserole. I’m sure it would add a much better taste than the already prepared Polenta. But if you don’t have the time or the desire, this recipe comes out great with store bought, prepared Polenta.

Tamale Pie

Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake, originally from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics  

Ingredients:

1 15 Ounce can pinto beans with liquid

1 Cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 Cup chunky salsa

1 Teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 Teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 Teaspoon salt

12 Ounces prepared Polenta

1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 Cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 baking dish

Drain the beans and mash them with a fork. Add the corn, salsa, cumin, oregano and salt.

Slice the Polenta into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Arrange them in the skillet so that they are overlapping a bit. Spoon the mixture on top and then sprinkle it with the cheese. Top with the cilantro.

Cover it with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes or until the beans and sauce start to bubble. If the cheese doesn’t brown but it seems ready, turn the broiler on for a few minutes until you get the cheese to your liking.

Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving so that all the juices can come together.

This is another dish that is great for cold days. μὲν the polenta and cheese is so comforting δὲ¹ the beans, cumin and salsa give it just the right spice. Try it with some sour cream if you want. I’m sure it would be delicious. I am very anxious to try this recipe again with fresh Polenta. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out. I swear, I could live solely off of Polenta dishes. Enjoy!

1. μὲν...δὲ, pronounced "men...day" is a common term in Attic Greek, which I am in the midst of learning. It is best translated into English as "on the one hand...on the other hand". The phrase is meant to indicate a parallel between two ideas. While writing this post, my brain automatically said "μὲν...δὲ" and when I told my fellow Attic Greek student, she said to go ahead and use it and just add a footnote so that is exactly what I'm doing. I would also like to say that if this were true to Attic Greek, I would have placed the μὲν and δὲ between the article, "the" and the subject (just in case any Attic Greek speakers are out there policing my site). Also, if I were you, I'd go on a google search to find out what my blog's name has to do with my love of Greece and Attic Greek...that is, if you haven't already.

Experimenting with Polenta

I remember falling in love with Polenta the first time I tried it. Something about Polenta is just so different from any other dish. I think its flavor is one of the most comforting flavors out there. Until now, I’ve always just bought it in the prepared logs and fried it and topped it with a sauce (Usually, a spinach and cheese sauce! Mmmm). However, I’ve been wanting for a while to try to make Polenta from the dried cornmeal. Since it’s been cold around Davis lately, I decided that it was a perfect week to make one of my favorite comfort foods.

Parmesan Polenta with Eggs and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
For the Polenta:
Salt
1 Cup instant Polenta (this will yield leftover Polenta which can be used in my next recipe)
3/4 Cup Parmesan
4 Tablespoons butter
For the Tomato Sauce and Eggs:
Olive oil
1 Onion
3 Cloves of garlic
15 Ounce can of Italian tomatoes or diced tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped basil
4 eggs

Directions:
Start the water boiling for the Polenta. When it comes to a boil, add the salt and the Polenta. Stir continuously until it thickens. This should take about 3 minutes. Once it has thickened, add the butter and let it melt. Then add the Parmesan.
Meanwhile, heat up the olive oil in a large skillet and chop the onions. Add the chopped onions to the oil and then mince in the garlic. Once the onions start to soften, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Let it all come together for about 5 minutes then add the basil.
Move the tomato mixture to one side of the large pan and then crack the eggs onto the empty side of the pan, without breaking the yolks. Top with salt and pepper and cover with a lid. Check the eggs every few minutes until the yolk is the consistency that you like. I like mine to be runny but for all of the whites to be well cooked (covering it with a lid helps ensure that the whites won't be runny).
Once all of the components are ready, spoon some Polenta into a bowl and top with the tomatoes and a couple eggs and extra parmesan if you want.
Take the leftover Polenta from and place it into a greased 8x8 pan. Place in the refrigerator over night to allow it to set up for future use.

A perfect meal for a cold, rainy day! I made this for my friend, Melanie, while we were "studying". Much better than reading a textbook. Much better.

Rosemary and Parmesan Polenta Chips
I saw Giada make these on the Food Network a few years ago and I have wanted to make them ever since. I searched for the recipe, but with no luck, so I decided to just experiment a bit on my own.

Ingredients:
Left over Polenta (You could make Polenta just for this purpose if you don’t want to make the previous dish. Just follow the directions on the back of the bag to make the Polenta and then put it in a pan and chill it till it is set.)
Olive oil
Rosemary to taste
Freshly grated parmesan to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Take the left over Polenta and gently turn it out of the pan. You may need to urge it a bit by taking a spatula or a knife along the edges. Cut the Polenta up into 2cm x 1.5 inch pieces…approximately. Heat up enough oil in a pan so that it will cover the Polenta slices. To place the Polenta strips in the oil, place them onto a spatula and then lower them into the oil. There is a lot of moisture in Polenta so it will spit out a lot of hot oil. A thorough clean up will be necessary afterward. Let the Polenta strips fry for about five minutes or until they start to become golden brown. When they are ready, take them out and place them on a paper towel to drain some of the oil. Top with rosemary, parmesan, salt and pepper while the Polenta is still hot. Continue frying in batches until all of the Polenta is used.

My roommates and I could not stop eating these! I could barely make them as fast as we were devouring them. They are reminiscent of french fries but so much better! Experiment with the toppings to find what flavors work for you.