Recipe: Polenta Pizza with Kale Topping (no flour)

POLENTA PIZZA WITH KALE TOPPING

"When polenta is spread out on a baking sheet, it becomes stable enough to use as a crust for pizza. Start this recipe several hours ahead so polenta has plenty of time to firm."

1 recipe Basic Polenta (soft version, recipe follows)
1 large bunch kale (1 1/2 lbs.)
1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought tomato sauce
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella or soy cheese (3 oz.)*
(For variety, add any other favorite pizza toppings like sliced olives, artichoke hearts, etc.)

Lightly oil large nonstick baking sheet with sides. Set aside.

Make soft polenta. As soon as it is quite thick but still pourable, immediately scrape warm polenta into center of prepared baking sheet, tilting sheet until mixture forms large circle not quite 1/2-inch thick. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

TO PREPARE THE TOPPING:
Strip kale leaves from stems; tear leaves into large pieces. Transfer to large bowl or sink of cool water and swish vigorously to remove sand and grit. Lift out leaves; repeat washing as necessary.

In large pot, combine kale and 1 cup lightly salted water. Cover, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender but still somewhat chewy, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool, then squeeze out some but not all water. Transfer to cutting board and coarsely chop.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

TO ASSEMBLE THE PIZZA:
Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over polenta crust, leaving 1/2-inch border.

In medium saucepan, heat remaining tomato sauce; stir in kale and heat through. Spread kale mixture over polenta, then sprinkle with mozzarella (if using soy cheese, add a minute or two before pizza is done). Add other toppings, as desired.

Bake until polenta crust is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve right away.

*The tasty kale topping can be sprinkled with cheese or a cheese alternative. Try a rice-based Parmesan cheese or a vegan product like provolone-flavored Veggie Slices add a minute or so before pizza is done to avoid a chewy skin.

BASIC POLENTA

4 1/2 cups cold water
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

In medium nonstick saucepan, bring 4 1/2 cups cold water and salt to a boil over medium heat. Gradually add cornmeal, stirring almost continuously with a wire whisk. When mixture starts to thicken, stir in oil with a wooden spoon. (As polenta starts to thicken, it tends to splatter so wear an oven mitt but once it is quite thick, it is less likely to jump out of the pan.)

Reduce heat to low. Continue to stir until polenta is quite thick and creamy, taking care to scrape entire bottom and sides of pan, about 30 minutes.

Soft version:
Serve at once, use in recipes as directed, or hold over a pan of simmering water for up to 1 hour.

Firm version:
Immediately scrape warm mixture into lightly oiled 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Vegetarian Times magazine, March 2000