tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31132443.post-1155516015961967282006-08-13T19:03:00.000-04:002006-08-13T20:42:04.816-04:00Polenta is the Italian word for cornmeal, but it is also the name for a dish made by cooking cornmeal in a liquid. Polenta is cooked primarily in Northern Italy, especially during the winter. Traditionally, polenta is cooked in a heavy copper pot called a <i>pailo</i>, and can take over an hour to cook. Many older Italians have "old-wives tales" about cooking polenta. Some say that if you do not stir the polenta in one direction you will never marry. <br /><br />Whatever the case may be, polenta is delicious. After cooking, it has the texture of mashed potatoes. Tonight I decided to make a recipe from Jack Bishop's <i>Italian Vegetarian Cookbook</i>: Polenta with Garlicky Greens.<br /><br />This meal is very hearty. I can definitely understand why many northern Italians would serve this in the winter. And although my husband still doesn't like the taste of greens, he loved the polenta. <br /><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/78/214524373_5e8a0b187c.jpg" border=1 width=350><br /><br /><b>Servings:</b> 4 to 6<br /><br /><b>Ingredients:</b><br />2 cups cornmeal<br />Salt and pepper<br />1 ½ lb. chard <br />1 ½ lb. spinach<br />¼ cup extra virgin olive oil<br />2 medium onions, thinly sliced<br />6 garlic cloves, slivered<br />2 tbsp unsalted butter<br />Optional: When stirring in the butter, I'm sure you can add any cheese you like to give it some more flavor. I added in about a palmful of Pecorino-Romano cheese.<br /><br /><b>Directions:</b><br />To prepare Polenta: Pour 8 cups of water into a saucepan and bring to boil. Add 2 tsp of salt and lower the heat to medium. Whisk in the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream. This should take almost 1 min. Make sure to whisk the cornmeal continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Continue whisking as the cornmeal comes back to a boil. Simmer, whisking contantly, until the polenta starts to thicken, 1 to 2 mins. Reduce the heat until the polenta is at the bearest simmer. Cover the pot and cook very slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon every 10 mins or so, until the cornmeal loses its raw flavor, 35-40 mins. <br /><br />To prepare the Greens: While the polenta is cooking, remove and discard the stems from the chard and spinach. Tear leaves into small pieces. Wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold water to get rid of any dirt. Shake the leaves to remove excess water, but do not dry them. Set aside. <br /><br />Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 mins. Stir in the garlic and cook until golden, about 2 mins. Add the greens to the pain. Stir to coat the leaves with oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times, until the greens are tender, 5-7 mins. Remove the cover and simmer until some of the liquid evaportates, 2-3 mins. The greens should be moist, but not swimming in liquid. When the polenta has finished cooking, stir in the butter and add more salt if needed. <br /><br /><font size=-2>Recipe adapted from Jack Bishop's <i>Italian Vegetarian Cookbook</i>.</font>Danihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03102538067576069201noreply@blogger.com