Baked Polenta with Vegetables

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, or 1 shallot, chopped
• 1/2 small tomato, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped cooked spinach, Swiss chard, or beet greens
• 3 or 4 strips roasted pepper chopped or other cooked vegetables (see suggestions)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more if needed
• 1/3 cup medium-grain polenta
• 1 cup warm water
• 23 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small skillet, and saute the onion for a few minutes; then add the tomato and cook another 2 minutes.
2. Mix in the additional cooked vegetables, salt lightly, and remove from the heat.
3. Put the polenta in a smallish, rather shallow baking dish, and stir in the warm water and remaining olive oil.
4. (Dont forget that if you want leftovers, add the additional amount of polenta and water.)
5. Add the sauteed vegetables, sprinkle on the rest of the salt, and stir everything together.
6. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 25 minutes, then sprinkle Parmesan on top (I put the third tablespoon over the portion I am going to eat right away).
7. Bake another 5 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
8. If Ive made the larger amount of polenta, I scoop out the excess and put it aside, eating up all the vegetables with my polenta the first time around.
9. You can vary your cooked-vegetable additions to your hearts contentchopped asparagus spears or fiddleheads in spring, perhaps, quartered artichoke hearts, chunks of small zucchini, broccoli florets, and anything else the garden offers in summer.
10. If you dont have roasted red pepper on hand, use about a quarter of a fresh bell pepper, any color, but saute it first with the onion.
11. If you want a more substantial dish, add some slivers of ham or slices of a cooked spicy sausage.
12. Plan to eat all of these embellishments with your first serving, saving the pure polenta for later.
13. Gather the remaining polenta in your hand, and gently shape it into an oval or round piece; if you have too much to handle in one piece, make two.
14. Preheat your broiler.
15. Brush the polenta lightly with olive oil, and set it on the broiler tray or on a baking sheet.
16. Broil the polenta cake until browned and crusty on the top.
17. If you want it doubly crisp, try turning it over and browning the other side.
18. To fry it, film generously with oil a skillet large enough to hold the polenta.
19. Heat the pan, and gently slip in the polenta cake.
20. Fry until browned, then turn and do the other side.
21. Serve with some juicy meat or poultry.
22. Or try it with butter and warm maple syrup for breakfast.

olive oil, onion, tomato, swiss chard, pepper, salt, polenta, water, parmesan cheese

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/baked-polenta-with-vegetables-378452 (may not work)