Based on a dish from the Florida Tomato Committee.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- ***** FOR THE POLENTA *****
- 7 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups coarse-grained yellow cornmeal
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 pound mixed greens
- ***** FOR THE TOMATO BASIL SALSA *****
- 1 cup black beans, softened or 1 can (15 oz), rinse & drain
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 2 large firm, ripe, red tomatoes, chopped
- 1 10-ounce pkg. frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
- 1 medium red pepper, cored, seeded, & finely diced
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, & finely diced
- Dash of hot pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup fresh basil, cut into strips
Preparation:
Serves 6.
For the polenta:
Butter an 11/9 jelly roll pan. In a very large heavy-duty pot, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add cornmeal in a steady stream, stirring continuously. Add garlic, basil, salt & pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (or until the cornmeal forms a mass and pulls away from the sides of the pan).
Stir in butter & cheese. When butter has melted, remove Polenta from heat & pour into prepared jelly roll pan. Set aside to cool.
When cool cut into 3" x 3" squares, then cut each square into a triangle. Grill both sides until golden & immediately serve on a bed of mixed greens with Tomato Basil Salsa.
For the Tomato Basil Salsa:
Combine all ingredients except basil, in a medium size bowl. Set aside for 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Stir in fresh basil strips before serving.
