Polenta With Hot Tomato-Eggplant Sauce

• 1 1/2 pounds eggplant
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 18 teaspoon hot-pepper flakes
• 2 cups canned no-salt-added tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6 tablespoons instant or finely ground polenta
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 ounces Fontina cheese
• 2 slices coarse Italian bread

1. If using a broiler, turn on.
2. Wash, trim and slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.
3. Brush with four teaspoons of the oil.
4. If using a top-of-the-stove grill, prepare.
5. Broil or grill the eggplant until it begins to brown on both sides.
6. Set aside.
7. Mince garlic, and saute in the remaining two teaspoons of hot oil in a saucepan with hot-pepper flakes for 30 seconds.
8. Crush tomatoes with your fingers and add them in the pan with vinegar.
9. Reduce heat and simmer until the rest of the meal is complete.
10. Bring 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil in a covered pot.
11. Cut the skin from eggplant and cut into 1/2-inch chunks.
12. Add to tomatoes.
13. Add polenta, one tablespoon at a time, to the boiling water, stirring well, and cook over medium-high heat until polenta thickens.
14. Season the polenta with salt and pepper.
15. Meanwhile, coarsely grate the cheese.
16. Spoon polenta onto two dinner plates; top with tomato-eggplant sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.
17. Serve with bread.

eggplant, olive oil, garlic, hotpepper, salt, balsamic vinegar, ground polenta, salt, freshly ground black pepper, cheese, bread

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10897 (may not work)