CAPONATA & POLENTA - a few ways

I love the challenge of introducing new foods to people. I saw this recipe years ago, made it for myself and the husband. We LOVED the caponata and polenta!! (Hubby is a self-proclaimed 'grit hater' and thought he would strongly dislike polenta as well. Wrong!) This pairing has become a 'comfort food combination' for us over the years.

The versatility of the caponata is that you can use many ingredients and still end up with a great product!! In fact, I have NEVER made it the same way twice!!

The great thing about the polenta is that you can make it ahead (the morning of or night before serving), chill it, cut into desired shapes, brush with oil and pan fry/grill/or bake it in the oven. It takes on a crispy outer edge and stays divinely creamy inside! This has pleased the taste buds of all I've served -- a surprise to a great many of them! --TC

CAPONATA AND HERB POLENTA Serves 4

Caponata:
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes *start with less if you're not keen on a little spice creeping up on you --TC
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cubanelle Italian long green pepper, seeded and diced, optional
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup large green olives, pitted and chopped *I omit these and just use black olives --TC
1/2 cup Kalamata black olives, pitted and chopped *I quarter these --TC
1 (3-ounce) jar capers, drained *I usually use about 2 TBSP capers, roughly chopped --TC

1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) golden raisins *I use anything but raisins: dried cherries, apricots, dried apple chunks, chopped sundried tomatoes, etc. --TC
1 medium firm eggplant, diced *I peel mine, that way I sneak it in on 'eggplant haters!' --TC
Salt
1 (32-ounce) can diced tomatoes *I use low-sodium, petite diced
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

**I use what I have on hand, so here are some of the other combinations I’ve used for the Caponata! See a few recipe variations below. --TC

*TC’s Recipe A: I used bell peppers (1), leeks (2 light green & white, cut into halfmoons and washed well!), shallots (2), capers (1 TBSP), garlic (2 cloves), olive oil, honey, salt, and red pepper flakes.
*TC’s Recipe B: I used bell peppers (2), Viadalia onion (1), capers (1 TBSP), garlic (4 cloves), medium eggplant, 28 oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes (1), 8 oz can Tomato Sauce (1), 4 oz water, olive oil, honey (4 TBSP), sea salt, and red pepper flakes.

Polenta:
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup quick-cook polenta, found in Italian foods or specialty foods aisles
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmigiano
Salt and pepper
6 cups mixed greens
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Serving suggestion: Mixed greens tossed with fresh herbs, dressed with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper

Caponata: Place the cutting board near the stovetop. Preheat a big, deep pot over medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and crushed pepper. As you chop vegetables (peppers, onion, and celery), add them to the pot. Once vegetables are in there, increase heat a bit.

Stir in olives, capers, and raisins. Salt the diced eggplant and stir into the pot. Add tomatoes, diced and crushed, to the pot and stir caponata well to combine. Cover pot and cook caponata 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in parsley and remove pan from heat.

Polenta: Bring 3 cups chicken broth to a boil. Add polenta and stir constantly until the cornmeal masses together. Stir in herbs, butter, cheese, salt, and pepper. *I found this to be a bit “thick,” so I added 2 TBSP heavy cream &/or 2 TBSP olive oil – lightly warmed. --TC (***also see 'Suggestion from TC' below...)

Spread polenta out over a serving platter. Make a shallow well from the center out and fill with half of the prepared caponata. This stands as a complete dinner on its own, so rich with vitamins and fresh vegetables. Refrigerate the remaining caponata for a later use.** Pour remaining polenta onto a buttered/oiled If you prepare a salad, keep it simple. Dress mixed greens with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Caponata can also be used as a bruschetta topping. –Courtesy of Rachel Ray, as seen on 30 Minute Meals - Food Network.

**How to make Crispy Pan-Fried Polenta from TC: Pour polenta onto a greased sheet pan with sides. Smooth out to a consistent 3/4 to 1" thickness. Dot with butter and cover with plastic wrap directly on top of polenta so a 'skin' will not form -- do not wrap around the sides of the pan yet. Let cool completely on the counter, then wrap tightly and place into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, better if you can let it go overnight.

Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Coat with a little non-stick spray.

Get a standard 'dredging station' ready (seasoned egg wash and seasoned flour - in two seperate dishes). Cut polenta into desired shape (squares or triangles seem to be easist!).

Put 2 TBSP oil and 1 TBSP butter into the pan. Meanwhile dip the cut polenta into the egg wash, let excess drip off; then dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Gently place the polenta into the oil. Repeat with remaining polenta, but do not crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side, remove to paper-towel lined drying rack to remove excess oil. Season with sea salt while HOT.

***Suggestions from TC: If you like a looser polenta (say like creamy, cheesy grits), I would start with 4 cups of broth when making your polenta. Once it cooks and the grains are no longer 'al dente' (meaning still a tad under-cookerd or 'to the tooth'), you are ready to serve it! Serve it with grilled shrimp, chicken, steak, or sausages -- cut the last three proteins into diagonal slices for a nice presentation! --The Traveling Culinarian.