Herbed Polenta

Polenta hails from Italy, though it wasn’t developed until corn started coming in from the New World. It’s a corn “oatmeal” of sorts, and in this country it’s most often cooked up for breakfast in place of grits, though it’s developing more and more of a following in culinary circles.

Makes 4 servings.

5 cups chicken broth

1 cup fat milk

1 cup polenta (yellow corn meal)

¹/₂ teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

¹/₂ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

¹/₂ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Salt to taste

Non-stick cooking spray

1. Spray the inside of the slow cooker liberally with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine the broth, milk, and polenta in the slow cooker. Whisk together thoroughly, cover, and cook on High for about 1¹/₂ hours, or until mixture begins to boil.

3. Open the slow cooker and add the herbs. Whisk again, cover and cook on High an additional 1¹/₂ hours, then turn heat to Low and cook for 2 or 3 more hours, or until polenta is very thick.

4. Stir in the butter and cheese, and season with salt. Serve hot.

An alternative way to serve polenta is to pack the hot polenta into a well-oiled loaf pan and chill it well. Once chilled you can cut it into slices and either grill or sauté them in butter or olive oil. You can also spread the polenta in a shallow baking dish to the thickness of ³/₄ inch, and then chill the mixture, cut it into long, narrow rectangles, and pan-fry them.