Polenta: A Food For Every Day

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Where I grew up in the Southern U.S., we had a saying that goes something like this. "Children are like grits: they should be taken out 3 times a day for meals and then be put away." In many parts of Italy, particularly Friuli and neighboring Veneto, the locals seem to have the same attitude toward polenta, a close cousin to the grits I grew up with.

Grits and polenta are not exactly the same thing, although both come from corn. Polenta is usually yellow (there is white corn in Friuli which is sometimes used) and is really nothing more than boiled corn meal. Grits are made by drying white corn and treating it with certain chemicals before grinding.

Both polenta and grits show up most often as a side dish. Friulans are fond of topping polenta with just about any type of meat or fish. Most satisfying on a cold winter's day is a bowl of polenta served with good sausages, perhaps cooked in tomato sauce with peppers. Polenta may be served in its creamy, just-cooked state or may be allowed to solidify, after which it can be sliced and sauteed, grilled or fried prior to serving.

Polenta can also take center stage in various rustic dishes where layers of polenta alternate with any number of other ingredients, usually ground meat or cheeses. Some chefs add bechamel sauce or tomato sauce to these dishes, with a result that is very much like our traditional notions of layered lasagna.

Below is a recipe for a torta di polenta with alternating layers of polenta, goat cheese and leeks. Some of the polenta is mixed with tomato sauce, some with chopped spinach. The result is a striped dish which calls to mind the Italian tricolore flag (only with more stripes). The dish is suitable for vegetarians but hearty enough for the biggest eaters. It can be served hot or at room temperature and can be part of a buffet or the main course of lunch or dinner with a green salad. I hope you enjoy it.

TORTA TRICOLORE DI POLENTA

Ingredients
• 1 28 oz. can Italian chopped tomatoes
• 1 bunch fresh spinach (about 1 lb.), washed and destemmed
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 16 oz. fresh goat cheese
• 1/2 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme (leaves only) or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 6 leeks, white part only, sliced crosswise in very thin rings
• 6 Tbs. olive oil
• 2-1/2 cups corn meal
• 8 cups water
• Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Saute 2/3 of the garlic in 2 Tbs. olive oil until just golden. Add chopped tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 30 minutes. Reserve.
2. Arrange spinach, while still wet, in a large saute pan and sprinkle with salt. Place over moderate heat and cook until spinach is completely wilted. Drain thoroughly of all excess water and chop coarsely. Saute spinach with remaining garlic in 2 Tbs. of olive oil and reserve.
3. Saute leeks in 2 Tbs. olive oil over low heat until golden. Reserve.
4. Combine goat cheese, yogurt and thyme in a bowl and blend until creamy and spreadable. Reserve.
5. Dissolve 2 tsp. salt in water in a large pot (preferably not too deep). Stir in cornmeal with a wire whisk and place over moderate heat. Continue stirring constantly with whisk until cornmeal begins to thicken, then change to wooden spoon. Polenta is done when it pulls away from the sides of the pan (about 15 minutes).
6. Place 2/3 of the polenta in a bowl. Add 1 cup of tomato sauce. Add the spinach to the remaining 1/3 of the polenta. Spread half the tomato-polenta mixture on the bottom of a lightly-oiled 9-in. spring-form cake pan. Spread half of the goat cheese mixture across the polenta, then spread half of the leeks next. Continue spreading the spinach-polenta mixture, the remaining goat cheese mixture and the remaining leeks. Top with the remaining tomato-polenta mixture.
7. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 25 minutes. Allow to stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Cut in wedges and serve with remaining tomato sauce. Serves 8 to 10 people.

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