polenta!

I made some spoon bread a few weeks ago, and it was scrumptious. Soon afterward, I was thinking of other ways that I could use up the cornmeal I bought for it, and my brain followed that natural conclusion to Polenta. Polenta is divine. You can cook it tons of ways: fried, baked, gloppy- all delicious. My mother used to bake it in the oven for a bit with tomato sauce. So good!

So, I went to my favorite food website, Epicurious.com, and found me this little gem from the May 2008 issue of Bon Apetit.

It came out SO WELL. I am enjoying another bowl for breakfast as we speak. I played with the original recipe by adding cheese and leaving out a tablespoon of butter [I forgot it!].

Creamy [cheesy] corn-studded polenta

3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
3 cups corn kernels [I used frozen that I thawed for a few hours, but they said fresh from 3 ears, which would be good in the summer]
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese [because what isn't improved by a mountain of cheese?]

Bring broth, cream, and salt to boil in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Add corn and cheese; increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until polenta is soft, thick, and creamy, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

I think one could safely add hot sauce, or perhaps a dash of Old Bay. The next time I make it, I'm going to go further with the cheese by adding some parmesan and remembering the butter.

Serve it with chicken! Or steak! Or a mound of veggies! But be warned - it's delicious all on its own, so be prepared to forget whatever else you planned to accompany it.