Lively, comforting polenta dish can tide you over till tomato season
It’s about this time of year, when cool stormy days start to fade and warm (even hot) sunny afternoons take over, that I start fantasizing about tomato season. That longing for great tomatoes is even worse this year, as cooking and eating are some of the few normal things most of us have been able to do during the pandemic, and counting down the days to a tomato sandwich seems like a good enough way to pass the time.
Until then, I’ve been fulfilling that craving with always-sort-of-ripe cherry and grape tomatoes, which really shine when quickly cooked in a hot skillet in plenty of olive oil and with plenty more garlic. These blistered tomatoes make a great pasta sauce or topping for grilled pork, but this week, I’ve been eating them on comforting polenta.
For this dish, I prefer to use sliced precooked polenta, which you can sear in oil for textural contrast; however, you can absolutely use instant or quick-cooking polenta if that’s what your store is carrying on the day you go shopping. If searing, just be sure to pat the polenta very dry before it hits the pan and use just enough oil to coat the skillet — these steps will help to prevent popping and splattering.
Polenta and tomatoes is close but not totally a meal in my book, so I like to top the dish with a handful of baby arugula (or kale, or any fresh herb you’ve got) and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Both will mingle into the tomatoes to create a warm, lively salad atop the sweet polenta. Need a little more heft? Throw on sunny side-up eggs, one per person, to the platter, and maybe just forget that fat, sandwich-ready tomatoes are still weeks away.
Polenta with Cherry Tomatoes
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (18-ounce) log precooked polenta, sliced 1/2-inch thick (or 1 cup instant or quick-cooking polenta plus 4 cups water)
- Salt
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arugula, baby kale, fresh parsley or fresh basil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Optional: Fried eggs, for serving
- IF USING PRECOOKED POLENTA: Lightly coat a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet with olive oil. Place over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, pat the polenta slices very dry with paper towels. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the polenta and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter, cover, and keep warm.
- IF USING INSTANT POLENTA: Bring the water and a large pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the water boils, whisk in the polenta, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit while cooking the tomatoes.
- Generously coat the bottom of the skillet with olive oil (additional olive oil if you used the skillet for the precooked polenta). Place over medium-high heat, add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to blister and pop, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and season with salt.
- If using instant polenta, pour out onto a platter.
- Top the polenta with the tomatoes, followed by the arugula and cheese. Serves 2-4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: (based on 4 with precooked polenta) 173 calories (percent of calories from fat, 68), 6 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 14 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 8 milligrams cholesterol, 437 milligrams sodium.RELATED:
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