Polenta with roasted butternut squash and kale saute, brown butter, and fig balsamic

Onion parsley polenta
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling the pan and grilling
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 C white wine
7 C water
2 C coarse yellow cornmeal
1 C chopped fresh parsley

Saute the onion and garlic.  Heat the 1 Tbsp olive oil in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and 1/2 tsp of the salt, and saute until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 mins.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the wine and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to remove all cooked bits, until most of the wine has evaporated.

Cook the polenta.  Add the water and the remaining 2.5 tsp salt to the onion mixture, and bring to a boil.  Pour the polenta into the boiling liquid in a thin stream, stirring constantly (to avoid lumpy polenta).

Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the polenta is very thick and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 10-15 minutes.

Cool the polenta.  Fold the chopped parsley into the polenta, and immediately pour it into the prepared pan, using an oiled rubber spatula to spread it evenly.  Cool in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.

Grill or broil the polenta triangles.  Cut the cold polenta into 6 squares, and then cut the squares diagonally into 12 triangles.  Brush both sides of the polenta triangles with olive oil.  Grill or broil them until they are lightly browned and heated through, 4-6 minutes per side.  Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.


Roasted butternut squash and kale saute
1 butternut squash (~2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 C (1 stick) Brown Butter (melt and cook until nut brown, 8-10 mins)
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
6 C winter kale, tough stems removed, leaves torn or roughly chopped
1 C white wine

Roast the squash.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the squash cubes with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss again.  Spread the squash on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to accommodate it in a single layer without crowding.  Roast until tender (~30 mins).

Heat the roasted squash with the garlic.  Warm the Brown Butter in a large skillet that has a lid over medium heat.  Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute.  Add the squash and heat through, about 3 minutes.

Add the kale.  PIle the kale into the pan with the squash, and add the wine.  Cover the pan and steam the kale until it is tender (2-15 mins depending on maturity of kale).  When tender, remove the lied and continue to cook, gently stirring contents until enough wine evaporates to make a sauce that isn't too soupy.