Recipes

Bring the water to a boil. Stir in the salt and polenta. Stir and stir and stir. Reduce the heat (you might want to wear an apron as the polenta has a tendency to spurt and spit). Simmer for at least 30-35 minutes, if the polenta gets too thick and starts to dry out along the way, just stir in more water 1/4 cup at a time. You can cook the polenta for much longer if you like (again, great for a brunch scenario), just keep stirring in

splashes of water as needed. In the end I like my breakfast polenta to be on the loose side, thick enough to coat a spoon, but loose enough that it has trouble holding shape. Serve warm in bowls topped with almonds, dried fruit, a drizzle of honey and cream (or other toppings).

Serves about 4

Breakfast Polenta Bar, topping ideas:

- toasted almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts

- all manner of berries

- a drizzle of this blueberry maple syrup

- Rosewater Plum Compote

- poached eggs

- chopped herbs

- cream or even better, an infused cream

- chopped dates or dried fruit

- re-hydrated, chopped sun-dried tomatoes

(taken from Heidi Swanson: www.101cookbooks.com)