Cooking Recipe Polenta (Pickarski)
Recipe Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Saute the carrots, onions,
celery, and garlic, along with the salt, pepper, and basil, for about
8 minutes. Cut the stewed tomatoes into small pieces and add them to
the vegetables, along with the 4 cups of water. Bring to a simmer.
Then add the corn grits and kidney beans and mix well. Cook for about
20 minute, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. (The polenta
may take longer than 20 minutes to cook. Check by tasting. It should
have a soft, gritty texture.)
Lightly oil a 2-quart mold and press the polenta into it, working out
any air pockets. Smooth out the surface and allow it to cool to room
temperature. Refrigerate the mold until it is cold. Then unmold the
polenta onto a tray, garnish it, and serve it in slices.
NOTE: If you are using cornmeal instead of corn grits, it is best to
soak the cornmeal separately, in 2 cups of cold water; add the
remaining 2 cups of water to the vegetables and then combine the two
mixtures.
VARIATION: Millet Polenta Use 2 cups of millet and 5 cups of water in
place of the corn grits and the 4 cups of water.
Source: Friendly Foods - by Brother Ron Pickarski, O.F.M. Ten Speed
Press, Berkeley, California ISBN: 0-89815-377-8 Typed for you by
Karen Mintzias