Simple, but Good: Polenta with Beans and Greens

With the beginning of fall-like temperatures, I found myself craving a, typically, cool-temperature food: polenta. Polenta can be a little polarizing—most people seem to either like it or hate it. For me, however, it’s one of those foods that needs to be cooked the right way and served at the right time, otherwise I’m usually not that interested. For example, a couple of years ago I was in Rome with my aunt. It was a cool, rainy February afternoon and we ducked into a little ristorante for some lunch. She ordered what may be the best polenta I’ve ever tasted.  I don’t know if it was coming in from the cold, wet cobbled streets or how it was made (a simple yellow polenta with four kinds of cheese), but it was incredible.  Whatever the reason, I believe it’s important to never under estimate the weather and the timing when it comes to a meal—if you’re truly hungry and the food fits your mood it could be the best meal of your life—even if it’s just soup and a sandwich (or polenta and cheese).

…Getting back to the polenta. I’m still not sure if I’ve mastered how to make the best polenta, but I think this recipe may have turned out the best so far. I made it in the crockpot and cooked some greens and beans to go along with it.

Polenta ingredients:

3 cups of hot chicken broth (can use vegetable broth or just more hot water)
4 cups of boiling water
2 cups yellow cornmeal (usually labeled as polenta)
1 Tb butter

Anyone else see Starry Night?

1 Tb olive oil
½ cup (or more) shredded parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt (or more if butter is unsalted and/or using no broth)

This is beyond easy—ready for the directions? Heat the liquids to boiling (or almost boiling), pour the hot liquid into the crock pot, add olive oil, butter, and salt, then stir in polenta. Cook polenta on high for 1 hour (stirring occasionally), then add cheese, and continue cooking for 1 more hour on high—stirring occasionally—or until all liquid is fully absorb and wooden spoon stands up in polenta on its own.

Greens and Beans ingredients:

2 TB (more or less) of olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
7-10 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
½ cup chicken broth (or stock)

1-2 lbs cooking greens (I opted for ease and used Olivia’s cooking greens)
1 15oz can white beans, rinsed well (or use your own soaked and cooked, again I opted for ease…)
3/4 cup of diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
Salt and Pepper as desired

Again, pretty straight forward here. In a large frying pan or dutch oven, start by sautéing the garlic and onions (medium flame) in the olive oil until they’re just translucent. Then add the beans. Let them heat up
and marinate in the pan with the garlic and onions. Add the tomatoes and stir those around until warmed through. Next add the chicken broth and let it reduce a little, then add the greens until they are bright and

wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.

The fresh, slightly bitter, and, honestly, healthy taste of the greens and beans were a great accompaniment to the rich polenta. I admittedly added a little more cheese to my plate when I served it, but it’s not necessary. It may not have been as good as the polenta in Rome, but I’m certain I’ll make it again this fall.

Also, you’ll probably notice that the photo of the B&G ingredients has some jarred artichoke hearts included—I decided against using those. Initially I thought I would add a bunch of other veggies to the greens, but the basic recipe (above) seemed to do the trick—especially since the point was really just to enjoy the rich flavor of the polenta.

In cooking, as in life, sometimes sticking to the simpler things, the basics, is not only enough, but just right.