• Servings: 4
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coarse polenta (not quick cooking)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/2 cup dried fruit, chopped
• honey
• cream

1. 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
2. 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).
3. Serves about 4
4. Breakfast Polenta Bar, topping ideas:
5. - toasted almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts
6. - all manner of berries
7. - a drizzle of this blueberry maple syrup
8. - Rosewater Plum Compote
9. - poached eggs
10. - chopped herbs
11. - cream or even better, an infused cream
12. - chopped dates or dried fruit
13. - re-hydrated, chopped sun-dried tomatoes
14. (taken from Heidi Swanson: www.101cookbooks.com)

You can use any sort of dried fruit you like. I picked up a little bag of dried friar plums, and bright yellow pears at the market and used them this time around. Chopped dates are tasty as well. I used Bob's Red Mill Polenta, they also sell polenta with the nutritious germ still intact labeled as coarse stoneground cornmeal - slightly different beast. The latter being the more "whole" option. (taken from Heidi Swanson: www.101cookbooks.com)