Polenta Primavera - from the Local Bounty

One of my most treasured cook books is Local Bounty by Devra Gartenstein. This book showcases seasonal dishes that are simple yet hearty and beautiful. I made Polenta Primavera tonight, tweaking it as I went along based on the on-hand veggies I had. I might add that tonight was the very fist time I cooked with white wine. I used a delicious chardonnay and the fruity tangents mixed with the flavorful veggies was an amazing pair. I will be cooking with this wine more often.

One vegetable that was showcased was my lovely chard that has been growing the past few months.

It was tender, mild and such a treat. Of course I under estimated the amount of shrinkage so next time I will be cutting double the amount.

Polenta Primavera from Local Bounty

Ingredients – 2 servings

• 4 - 1/2 inch slices of pre-cooked polenta



• 2 tablespoons olive oil



• 1/3 sweet yellow onion, sliced into large pieces



• 1 tablespoon minced garlic



• 1/3 red bell pepper, sliced into small strips



• 1 cup sliced mushrooms



• 1/2 cup fresh of frozen peas



• a few handfuls of fresh green beans, washed and cut into 3 inch pieces



• a large amount of chard (depending on the size of leaves – it will shrink down 50% or more)



• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped



• 1/4 cup white wine



• salt and pepper

Directions

Sear of bake the polenta. If baking, preheat oven to 375 and lay polenta slices on a baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes on each side, or until crispy on the outside. If searing, place a few tablespoons of EVOO in a skillet and sear each side of the polenta until crispy.

Add 2 tablespoons of EVOO to a large pan on medium. Add onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sautee for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, peas, chard, beans, parsley, pepper and another pinch of salt. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add white wine, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until wine is mostly cooked out.

Serve vegetables over the polenta.