End of the season Rednesday

(Please visit Sue at It's A Very Cherry World for more Rednesday fun!)

I've sure missed blogging and my blog pals! I'm so grateful and relieved to say that my dad is home, doing well and he hit the ground running! I think he must be related to the Energizer Bunny.

(I apologize, my white bowl appears a very unappetizing BLUE in these photos. ACK!)

I'm sharing a dish that we quite enjoy with you this Rednesday, Creamy Polenta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Our tomatoes are sadly winding down (and looking oh so sad!) but I was able to pick enough for this and thought I'd share it with you. Pull up a chair and enjoy!

The polenta recipe I use is from Emeril Lagasse's Green Planet Show. It's the third one I've tried and I like it the best so far. I previously tried the one on the back of the Bob's Red Mill package (the polenta came in) and also one from Giada De Laurentiis, but I personally didn't really care for either of them.

Emeril's Creamy Polenta Recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
Salt, to taste
5 cups water
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
4 ounces cream cheese or mascarpone, at room temperature
Milk or water, if needed
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese

Method:
In a large, heavy saucepan, bring 5 cups of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the butter, cream, salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, pour the cornmeal into the water in a steady stream until all is combined. Continue to whisk until you are sure there are no lumps of unincorporated cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 20 minutes, uncovering frequently to stir.

Stir the mixture until thick and creamy, with no taste of rawness, an additional 20 minutes or so. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add the Pecorino and mascarpone and serve, garnished with the grated cheese.

The recipe I use for the roasted cherry tomatoes is one from Real Simple Magazine. Please note that there are a gazillion and one recipes out there for both creamy polenta and roasted cherry tomatoes, so feel free to pick whichever one that fits your taste buds best.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes from Real Simple Magazine recipe

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 10m

Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn if large

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients except the basil in a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are just bursting. Carefully transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and set aside.

2. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat (or transfer the liquid to a small saucepan) and reduce the liquid until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Toss the tomatoes with the basil. Drizzle some of the thickened balsamic sauce on each serving.