Wednesday, September 8, 2010

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.




12 comments:

  1. Oh yes, Emeril's recipes are always good...and rich!! This one looks like it is no exception!! Looks delicious!!
    Fondly,
    Ann
    @
    The Tattered Tassel

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  2. Hi Sally! I'm so happy all is better around your house. My parents are only 69, but they have some health issues. Dad's breathing, but they don't know why, cause he has no cancers or emphazema..thank goodness....His heart is okay, so they can't pinpoint it. Mom has thyroid trouble..dizzy spells...and A-fib..her heart and lungs are fine, so it is just stuff to make thing difficult.
    Your Dad'll be fine. He reminds me of my Great-Grandpa. He was 90 and had a 'younger' girlfriend. Even worked a little on the farm with his 70 yr old Son-In-Law. Hope we can keep up like that when we get to be their age. At least still able to put some intelligble sentances together to keep blogin..LOL.
    That recipe looks interesting ;) Tomatoes did terrible here. Rotted right on the vines. Farmers have been pulling up plants for weeks.
    You know what I realized..I don't have you on my bloglist!!!! I'm fixin that right now. You'll find yourself there the next time you visit.

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  3. Sally-that looks really good. Your tomatoes look good too. Thanks for your great comment today on taking BJ off to school this week. I'll try to not dwell on missing him-and think about positive stuff. Maybe we'll hit a thrift store os two. I'll let you know!

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  4. I gonna make this...you'd think a 1/2 Italian woman would know how to make palenta...but NOOO.
    And like yours, out tomatoes are looking pretty pathetic...on their last legs...but they are delicious. Thanks for the visit..

    tootles,
    bunny

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  5. I know it sounds crazy (and everyone will think I am crazy), but somewhere along the line I got the idea that polenta were made with grits and that was just a fancy word for it. (Southern dreaming perhaps--I hear y'all snickering.) I'm glad I read your blog and you set me straight. It looks very yummy and I'll have to give it a try, even if it doesn't include grits.

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  6. So glad to hear about your dad! This recipe looks so yummy! I have already c/p to save in my favs!

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  7. Hi Sally, I am so glad your father is on the mend. This is such an interesting dish you have shared. I don't think polenta is common in Ohio. Cherry tomatoes sure are though! OMG! We couldn't give them away! Have a lovely weekend ahead! Elizabeth

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  8. I am soooo glad your dad is up and at'em. YOu certainly are a blogging mama..crafts, theme days, scrummy dishes and you. What a treat...I might even try me some polenta for the first time. Take care dear friend.

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  9. Oooh, this looks lovely and we have some ripe cherry tomatoes that need to be eaten! Thanks Sally!

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  10. This looks great. Thanks for the recipe. Glad you dad is home Ü

    Thanks for visiting me over at Pittypat paperie and leaving the nice comment about my popcorn gift bucket. Drop by again sometimes.

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  11. Great recipe - hope your dad continues to do well.

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