Ingredients

  • 1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 cups chopped mushrooms (I prefer shitake, maitake, enoki, etc)
  • 1 cup kale, chiffonade
  • 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (or other hard aged cheese), grated
  • 2.5-3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or fresh, if you've got it)
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • olive oil

Method

  • Bring 2.5 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the cornmeal, whisking to prevent lumping few minutes. Add corn, thyme, and salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the polenta becomes too stiff, add a little more water. (You might have to add up to a cup more water-add 1/4 cup at a time.)
  • Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add olive oil and garlic. Cook for about a minute until garlic is fragrant. Add mushrooms and salt, and continue to cook for about 4-6 minutes, until the mushrooms give off some liquid.
  • Add kale and about 2 tablespoons of water to the mushrooms, then cover the pot for about a minute, until the kale softens up.
  • Add the mushrooms and kale to the polenta. Be sure to add all the liquid from the mushrooms. Mix the cheese into the polenta, and spread the mixture into a parchment-lined Pyrex dish or 1/2 sheet pan. (The parchment should extend over the edges of the pan a bit, this will make it a lot easier to take out the set polenta later. Trust me.)
  • Place on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour, until the polenta cools completely and sets. The pan can be refrigerated for a few days before the next step.
  • When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350F. Cut polenta into squares. (Or any shapes you want. Use a cookie cutter!) Place squares on baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes until heated through.