Recipe: Greens Restaurant Baked Polenta Layered with Tomato Sauce and Cheese (1980's)

BAKED POLENTA LAYERED WITH
TOMATO, FONTINA AND GORGONZOLA

"This polenta gratin looks inviting baked in a large earthenware dish-bring it to the table bubbling and fragrant and serve it family style. For more formal occasions, it is very attractive baked in individual dishes. Both the polenta and the tomato sauce can be made well in advance. Putting the casserole together takes only a short time."


1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
4 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal
8 oz. Italian Fontina cheese, sliced
5 oz. Gorgonzola cheese
Fresh herbs: oregano or marjoram, basil, chopped, for garnish.

While the Tomato Sauce is cooking, bring 4 1/2 cups water to a boil and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Whisk in the cornmeal in a stream so that lumps don't form. When it has all been added, switch to a wooden spoon, lower the heat, and stir for 15 minutes. Pour it into a loaf pan or a 9-by-12-inch baking dish, and set it aside to cool.

When it is thoroughly cool and firm, turn it out and slice it into pieces about 1/2-inch thick and about 3-inches long. If a loaf pan was used, cut the pieces again, diagonally.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly butter a gratin dish, and spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom. Arrange the polenta and the slices of Fontina in overlapping layers. Carefully spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the layers in a decorative way, leaving bands of red sauce between the yellow polenta and cheese. Crumble Gorgonzola over the top and pepper generously.

Bake the gratin uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes, or until it is hot throughout. The cheese will melt into the tomato, making a sauce to spoon over the polenta.

Garnish with the fresh herbs.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
The tomato sauce and polenta can be made days before, but the gratin is best if assembled and baked the same day.

Makes 4-6 servings

TOMATO SAUCE
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. meaty tomatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 fresh basil leaves
2 branches parsley
1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Sugar, if necessary
Salt and black pepper

Roughly chop the tomatoes; set aside.

Warm the olive oil with the bay leaf, basil, parsley, onion, and garlic, and cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes to flavor the oil and soften the onion.

Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to medium high, and cook until they are quite soft and broken apart, about 15 minutes.

Pass them through a food mill; then return the sauce to the pan, and simmer until quite thick. If needed, add a pinch or two of sugar to balance the acidity, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

From: Junie
Source: The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison, 1987