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Polenta with Tomato Basil Salsa

By Brett Moore, About.com

This dish makes a wonderful appetizer with bold, fresh flavors. If you don't care for polenta, you can serve tortilla chips with the Tomato Basil Salsa.

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.

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