Straight from the Earth

SEARED POLENTA with SPICY HEIRLOOM TOMATO SAUCE

This dish will warm your soul and win the hearts of your favorite omnivores. A plate of crispy pan-fried polenta cakes topped with heirloom tomato sauce is an entree to satisfy even the pickiest eater (and it’s certified kid-friendly by my cousin, Nina Harmer). This dish is special to our whole family. We all adore the tomato sauce, a recipe my mom developed long before we decided to write this cookbook together, and we make it with tomatoes my dad grows in our garden. The polenta cooks quickly, but it needs an hour or two to cool in the fridge, so we recommend making it ahead of time or letting it cool while you cook the tomato sauce. Topped with toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley, my mom’s sauce pairs perfectly with my seared polenta cakes—making this recipe an example of our creative mother-daughter collaboration. —MAREA

Serves 4 as an entree or 8 as a side dish

POLENTA

2 cups/480 ml plain unsweetened soymilk

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

¹/₂ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¹/₂ tsp garlic powder

¹/₄ tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup/175 g corn grits/polenta

¹/₄ cup/35 g whole-wheat pastry flour or corn flour

Canola oil for frying

Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce (page 125) or good-quality jarred marinara sauce, heated

1 cup/30 g chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¹/₂ cup/60 g pine nuts, toasted (see page 117)

Grease a 9-by-9-in/23-by-23-cm baking pan with olive oil. Set aside.

To make the polenta: Combine the soymilk, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and 2 cups/480 ml water in a medium saucepan, and bring them to a simmer over medium heat. At the same time, bring a second pot of water to a boil. Slowly whisk the polenta into the soymilk–olive oil mixture in the medium saucepan. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth, reducing the heat to low to avoid spattering. Cook until the polenta grains are tender, about 15 minutes, whisking regularly (it should have the consistency of cream of wheat). If it gets very thick before the polenta is fully cooked, add additional boiling water, ¹/₄ cup/60 ml at a time. Immediately pour the polenta into the prepared pan. Cool for about 20 minutes, then refrigerate until the polenta is cool, 1 to 2 hours.

Cut the cold polenta into eight equal triangles using a sharp knife. First cut a vertical line down the middle, followed by a horizontal line that divides the polenta into four equal squares. Then make two diagonal cuts from corner to corner to create eight triangles.

Sprinkle the flour on a flat plate and dredge each polenta triangle in flour. Ready a plate lined with several layers of paper towels.

Place a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat and film it with a thin layer of canola oil. Sear the polenta triangles on each side until they are crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add more oil as needed between batches.

Transfer the seared polenta to the paper towel–lined plate to absorb excess oil.

To assemble the dish, place two polenta triangles on each plate. Top with hot tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley and pine nuts, and serve immediately.