Wednesday, August 10, 2016

polenta cakes with fresh tomatoes, scallions and basil

Hooray for tomato season!  Such a glorious assortment of sizes and shapes everywhere, from farmers markets to home gardens, to co-ops and grocery stores  - and because I'm without a garden this year, it's all the more thrilling.  I was hoping to make a tomato tart, but got blindsided with a gimpy ankle for a few days which kept me off my feet and away from the markets.  But I did have a stash of fresh herbs and baby tomatoes - and remembered those polenta cakes I used to make soooo......  I gave it a whirl, and was actually stunned when I unmolded the polenta cakes - they were so PRETTY!

This is such an easy, simple recipe, I'm sure you'll come up with some beautiful ideas of your own.  And don't forget, they're gluten free.





Polenta cakes with fresh tomatoes, scallions, and basil


First, you will need 6 of those little white souffle/dessert cups.  Drip a little olive oil in each one, and rub the oil on the bottoms and sides.  Set aside.

Tomato/herb mixture:

About 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons of chopped basil
2-3 tablespoons sliced scallion greens

Mix together the herbs and tomatoes and and sprinkle equal amounts on the bottoms of the souffle cups.  Set aside.

The polenta:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup cold water
1/2 t. salt
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

Whisk the cornmeal into the cold water and set aside.


In a separate saucepan:

3 cups water, brought to a boil in a medium sauce pan

When the water is boiling, scrape the cold water and cornmeal into the hot water and whisk briskly.  If you want to, you can add 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan to the mixture.

Whisk the mixture until it makes plopping noises and bubbles.  Remove from heat.
Using a large spoon or a spring loaded ice cream scoop, fill the oiled cups right up to the top and smooth with another spoon.  Let cool for 25 minutes, run a knife around the lip of each cup, and unmold very carefully onto a platter or individual plates.

Serve at room temperature, along with a fresh green salad, some nice brie and rolls or good bread.  Yummers!










And that gimpy foot?  Turned out to be gout, of all things, which runs in my family.
No more sardines, chicken, hamburgers, tunafish, or mackerel - or gelato, either. Not for a while, anyway.   Hope you're having a glorious summer!









                           


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7 comments:

  1. La Table De NanaAugust 11, 2016 at 5:36 AM

    Oh no..my dad had gout.. but elbows and knees..

    Hope it feels better soon..back then I don't think my dad had a clue on how to keep it at bay..
    lovely little polenta cakes:)

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  2. katrinaAugust 11, 2016 at 6:08 AM

    Yikes! Never heard of gouty elbows and knees - that must be painful! I'm drinking lots of sour cherry juice, which is supposed to help. I hope it goes away soon, I miss my fishy lunches, Nana. It's a very uncomfortable thing to have, this gout.
    Loved your blueberry picking post, just haven't gotten around to replying on it. I am cranky and grumbly:)
    Happy you enjoyed the polenta cakes - making again today, as I ate them all yesterday:)

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  3. La Table De NanaAugust 30, 2016 at 8:28 AM

    Thinking about you..

    how are you doing? And how is the house hunting?

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  4. katrinaAugust 30, 2016 at 9:05 AM

    Monique - still struggling with pain, though I found out it is not gout! Got a letter saying all blood tests were fine, or more than fine - apparently I have "good" blood. Which is great - that diet was hard to stick to. Will have to find a primary care doctor, so still no idea what the problem is. Apartment hunting on hold for now, but still looking in NH.

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  5. La Table De NanaAugust 31, 2016 at 6:50 PM

    Have you seen a physio?

    ReplyDelete
  6. katrinaOctober 14, 2016 at 9:34 AM

    Oops, Monique - just saw this! No, have not seen anyone, on my to-do list with my new healthcare provider.

    ReplyDelete
  7. she's in the kitchenSeptember 4, 2019 at 5:41 PM

    Ah, turned out to be a popped tendon, very little I can do except avoid walking too much , which is a sad state of affairs, as I love walking and hiking.

    ReplyDelete