Polenta Fingers With Beans and Tomatoes

Name: Polenta Fingers With Beans and Tomatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 7 1/2 cups milk, and water, mixed (3 pints); 2 teaspoons salt; 1 1/2 cups polenta (10 oz); 2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for spreading; 2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated; ground black pepper; 1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 tablespoons olive oil; grated nutmeg, to taste; 1 (14 ounce) can chopped tomatoes; salt & fresh ground pepper; 1 pinch dried sage; 8 ounces frozen broad beans

Submitted by Mrs B

"Polenta, or cornmeal, is a family favourite in Italy. Overnight chilling time is not included in the cooking time. Posted for Zaar World Tour 2005."

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photo by justcallmetoni

Ready In:: 55mins
Ingredients:: 14
Serves:: 6

ingredients

7 ¹⁄₂ cups milk, and water, mixed (3 pints)
2 teaspoons salt
1 ¹⁄₂ cups polenta (10 oz)
2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for spreading
2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
ground black pepper
SAUCE
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
grated nutmeg, to taste
1 (14 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 pinch dried sage
8 ounces frozen broad beans

directions

In a large saucepan, bring the milk/water mixture to a boil; using a wooden spoon, stir the salt and polenta into the boiling liquid in a steady stream, stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened.
Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently; add the butter, cheese and seasoning.
Lightly grease a shallow roasting pan and pour in the polenta mixture; cool, then chill overnight.
To make the sauce, fry the onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, seasoning and sage; cook for 10 minutes, stir in the broad beans and cook for another 5 minutes.
Turn out the polenta and cut into fingers; grill both sides until brown and crisp; spread with a little butter and serve with the tomato beany sauce.

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Reviews

I'm not sure how to rate this so I'm giving it 5 stars. The polenta fingers made EVERYBODY SWOON. Wow, were these amazing. The leftovers (There was a lot) are for breakfast. The sauce did nothing for any of us (me, dh, 8 & 5 y.o.dds). Maybe a marinara dipping sauce instead?

Elmotoo
This is serious comfort food. I made my polenta with 1 part milk to 2 parts water, a first for me. Even with non-fat milk, it added a level of silky creaminess that was just wonderful. Counting calories so I skipped the butter and half the cheese. Beans and tomatoes were prepared as directed. I loved the use of sage as a nice change from the usual basil or oregano - used about 1/2 teaspoon in all. The polenta was a nice platform for the rustic character and flavor of the beans & tomatoes. As you can see from my pictures, forgot to make the polenta in advanced and served it with the hot unformed polenta. Secoind night, I made the fingers - both were really good, neither better than the other. Planning to make this again soon.

justcallmetoni

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Mrs B

Worcester Park, Surrey

I live with my husband and 2 cats in Worcester Park; a quiet typical 1930s suburb (which no one has ever heard of!) about 12 miles South West of London. I'm a fair weather gardener and as my husband is a vegetarian I grow a few easy vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers, mainly in containers. My husband loves growing flowers, the brighter the better, and we have a pretty garden as a result. Our cats, Araminta and Purrl, like it too! I do a lot of cooking and try to keep our diet as healthy and varied as possible. Although I work full time, I use very little in the way of pre-prepared foods. This is partly because of the limited choice of vegetarian meals, which I think are overpriced anyway; but mainly because I like to know what goes in my food! I love using the Internet for all the great ideas it gives me. Last year I participated in the Zaar World Tour (under my previous public name Caroline Blakey), which was great. Mr B and I tried lots of new foods and discovered new favourite meals. Researching recipes for the Tour was really interesting, however as I didn't have time to try them all, some were posted untested. I'm still working my way very slowly through them. To make matters worse I keep seeing other recipes I want to save and have also participated in Zaar world Tour II. So many recipes, so little time to make them! <img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b112/kzbhansen/Banners/Animation3.gif"> My 'rules' for posting recipes are a) if I wouldn't make a particular recipe, I won't post it and b) if my husband wouldn't eat it, I won't post it. This means that all my recipes are vegetarian friendly. As you will see from the number of recipes saved in my cookbooks, I particularly enjoy making jams and chutneys; I'd say it was one of my favourite hobbies. We always have a good supply of home preserves; my friends and work colleagues are well supplied too. If we won the lottery (say £5m, as a good number) we'd like to give up work, move to the country and buy a place with a bit of land. In my dreams this would be a manor house or old vicarage, with a walled garden, an orchard where I could keep hens, a vegetable garden, etc, etc, etc! In my more realistic moments (the £1m win perhaps) I would like to run a B&B, perhaps offering Vegetarian taster weekends. Luckily it costs nothing to dream.......I’d also love more time to read, do embroidery, learn a language, see more of the countryside; and of course play on Zaar.

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