Cauliflower with Green Olives & Sun-Dried Tomatoes on Polenta
Yield 6-8
This sunny combo of golden polenta, toasty-roasty cauliflower, snappy green olives, and rich sun-dried tomatoes is delicious, deeply satisfying, and dependable. And, oh! it happens to be healthful, nourishing, and easy to make.
Ingredients
For the cauliflower:
- 2 heads cauliflower, stems and cores removed, florets chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, partially drained and coarsely chopped
- Zest of 1 small lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon, or more to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the polenta:
- 1 cup medium or fine cornmeal
- 5 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Polenta:
Bring the water to boil in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over high heat. Add the salt.
Slowly pour the cornmeal in the water, stirring with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and cook the polenta, stirring every 10 minutes, until it becomes quite thick, thinning it with ½ cup water, stirring well after each addition, for about 45 minutes to an hour.
To test for doneness, put a spoonful on a plate, allow to cool, then taste. The grains should be swollen and taste cooked, not raw. Adjust the seasonings.
For the Cauliflower with Green Olives & Sundried Tomatoes:
Preheat the oven to 450°. Toss the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, salt & pepper.
Spread the cauliflower out in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, until tender and slightly charred.
Turn the cauliflower into a large bowl and toss with the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over the polenta, drizzled with a little more olive oil and another squirt of lemon, to taste.
Courses Dinner
Recipe by Lakewinds Food Co-op at https://www.lakewinds.coop/recipes/all/cauliflower-green-olives-sun-dried-tomatoes-polenta/