Lydia on PBS

[19Sandy]

Lydia made a fun recipe on PBS, it contained grapes, sauce, sausage on polenta.

I am not sure that I have ever had polenta so I need to find a recipe for it.

Now I am hungry!

[Zoe Girl]

Polenta is super easy, basically cornmeal cooked and molded when it cools. You can also buy it in a pre-cooked roll if you want to go easy or see if you are going to like it. Not sure if I like the grapes and sausage combo, but I do like polenta with similar toppings to spaghetti

[19Sandy]

I need to find an easy recipe. It looked tasty on the show! A great autumn meal. I don't think I have ever seen any polenta in my neck of the woods. What are other great ways to serve it?

[greenclaire]

Polenta is very versatile. In Europe it's used a lot as coatings instead of bread crumbs, you can have it for breakfast similar to grits, it makes excellent moist gluten free cakes, used as a pasta substitute with any pasta sauce, moulded and griddled with toppings....

Edit to add: on its own it is very bland. It's a great base for dishes but needs lots of flavour adding to it.

[Mary B.]

I need to find an easy recipe. It looked tasty on the show! A great autumn meal. I don't think I have ever seen any polenta in my neck of the woods. What are other great ways to serve it?

I do something that I call polenta. I stir corn meal into boiling stock (which is sometimes really stock and sometimes, blush, water with a veggie boullion cube), reduce the heat and stir until it thickens. I often add herbs at some point in the process. I sometimes put it in a pan, brush it with olive oil and bake it for a bit... but since I'm feeling confessional I will admit that sometimes I just scoop it out and put sauce on it.

I used to be better. I never molded it, but I did consistently bake it.

It is terrific with any kind of pasta sauce, notwithstanding my shortcuts. I suspect though that I should call it cornmeal mush and stop trying to sound fancy

[greenclaire]

I do something that I call polenta. I stir corn meal into boiling stock (which is sometimes really stock and sometimes, blush, water with a veggie boullion cube), reduce the heat and stir until it thickens. I often add herbs at some point in the process. I sometimes put it in a pan, brush it with olive oil and bake it for a bit... but since I'm feeling confessional I will admit that sometimes I just scoop it out and put sauce on it.

I used to be better. I never molded it, but I did consistently bake it.

It is terrific with any kind of pasta sauce, notwithstanding my shortcuts. I suspect though that I should call it cornmeal mush and stop trying to sound fancy

The Italians serve it as 'mush' with sauce too. It doesn't have to be baked.

[Mary B.]

The Italians serve it as 'mush' with sauce too. It doesn't have to be baked.

Thank you greenclaire! I will stop blushing.

it is really easy to make, for sure. In fact I think it is going to be dinner!

[JaneV2.0]

Polenta in a pressure cooker:

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/po...ipe-technique/

[Simone]

Foolproof Oven Polenta
In a covered, 2.5 Qt. casserole dish, combine
1 cup polenta (aka corn grits)
4 cups water or broth
1 tsp. salt

Cook at 350 degrees for 50 min.
Remove from oven and stir in 1 tbs. butter, and just about anything else you like, e.g., sliced
mushrooms, shredded cheese.

Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes.
Total bake time - one hour.

To increase amount by 50%, use a 3.75 qt. covered casserole dish.