No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Northern Italian Style Creamy Polenta with Greens
- 4 Cups Vegetable (or Chicken) Broth
- 1 Cup Polenta
- 1/4 Cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 Large Bunch Broccoli Rabe
- 2 TB Olive Oil
- 3 Garlic Cloves, Grated
- 1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives
- 2 Roasted Red Peppers, Sliced
- 1 Cup Crumbled *Ricotta Salada
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Step One
Bring the veg broth to a boil and sprinkle the polenta into the stock, whisking vigorously. Follow the directions on the bag for cooking time. Just before serving, stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano.
Step Two
While the polenta is cooking, bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil. Chop the Broccoli Rabe coarsely and blanch in the boiling water for a minute. Remove and place in a strainer.
Step Three
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the garlic. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the broccoli rabe, olives and peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes until the greens are warm and coated with the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step Four
Divide the polenta between 6 plates or shallow bowls. Top with the warm greens and a sprinkle of Ricotta Salada.
No. 2 : Kitchen SCOOP
This easy and delicious recipe uses a vegetable that may not be familiar to you. *Broccoli Rabe is a relative of the turnip – which explains its coarse greens. It tastes delicious, but slightly bitter. The bitter taste is removed when you blanch it before sautéing. Now is the time to enjoy it – it rolls out of season in the summer.
No. 3 : Clever Idea
*Ricotta Salada is a variation of a more familiar and popular Italian cheese: Ricotta. It’s made by pressing, salting and drying soft ricotta. It’s a hard cheese that is great crumbled or shredded, with a nutty salty flavor. Just like Parmesan, a little bit goes a long way. You can find it in the cheese section of larger grocery or speciality stores – I find it at the Murray’s Cheese Shops in larger Kroger stores.
No. 4 : CHEERS
Scarbolo Ramato
Fruili-Venezie-Guillia Region, Italy
About $17
Ramato wines are a historical style of producing Pinot Grigio in the Fruili-Venezie-Guillia region of Italy. Ramato comes from the word “rame” which means copper in Italian and indicates the color of the wine. It’s an ancient way of winemaking and it’s still used today. The skins not only add color, but flavor, even tho they only spend a brief time with the wine. Full of citrus freshness, lovely aromatics and a generous, juicy taste with bright acidity and a floral finish. I love it with hearty veggies, seafood and typically Northern Italian dishes like this yummy polenta.