There aren’t many things I make that Babyface dislikes. But this one. This one did not make him jump up and sing my praises.
He was working when I originally made it for dinner, so he had it first the next day as leftovers. When he got home from work, he said, “That polenta thing was good and all, but I bet it tasted better fresh.”
And I said, “Oh, I thought it tasted about the same.”
Truthfully, I think Babyface is still recovering from his long exile from eating tomatoes. When we first were married, he said, “I don’t like tomatoes!” to which I replied, “Too damn bad.”
He’s grown to tolerate (maybe even like) them, especially when they are a melded flavor in a dish, but he still struggles with tomato-centric meals, like this one.
So word-of-warning, this isn’t for the faint-of-tomato.
It is acidic, sharp and light, while still managing to be sweet and smooth. Now, I, the girl who goes and eats tomatoes right of the vine, I loved this dish. But I can’t even fathom how it is possible for someone to dislike tomatoes. Crazy talk. Especially when combined with basil and cheese.
So pick a side and go make this. Or not.
Polenta Cakes with White Beans and Tomatoes
1 tube polenta, sliced into 12 slices
Cooking Spray
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
Handful fresh basil, chopped
Handful freshly shredded parmesan
Preheat broiler. Place polenta slices in pan, spray with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Broiler for 7-8 minutes, or until warm and slightly crisp.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and tomatoes. Cook until garlic is soft and tomatoes are soft—about 4 minutes. Add beans and vinegar. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from heat, add basil and salt and pepper to taste.
Plate three polenta slices, top with 1/4 of the tomato mixture and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Number of Servings: 4
Tomato lovers unite!
