Sundried Tomato Polenta Circles

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Pretend for a moment that you were once a 13 year old girl (well, I mean, if you're a man. You lovely ladies can just flash back as needed).

Sometimes as luck would have it, you may have ended up at a high school party with older kids and beer and all sorts of forbidden fruit. It would be at one of these soirees you would have first laid eyes on him. You know the type, tall, hip and infinitly awesome with the penetrating eyes that takes a teenager girl's breath away. You would have turned to a blithering idiot if he looked your way, but there was no need to worry about that, since the odds were zero. You just hung out with your friends and imagined him as the Jake to your Samantha in vain.

That is the story of my early teenaged crush. Oh man was he just the coolest. He was so lax and popular and all-together I couldn't stand it. Always brushing his hair out of his eyes and making profound statements. I lurved him. I once even managed to stutter out a hello to him, but I'm pretty sure his response was to stare over my head and keep walking. I was in heaven. It was a totally teenaged experience and I sort of cherish it as part of my past.

Happily, I grew up, met boys who actually knew my name and developed a life. I also learned to cook, and that is why you are here, right?

The interesting twist is that boy of my crush still pops up on my radar with frequent regularity. It's as if I'm from a farming town in the midwest or something, I swear, instead of a town of 17 million. Turns out, my teenaged crush did quite well for himself. (Being the son of a famous person didnt hurt though) Our boy went on to be a model, act in a few movies, marry a super model, front a few bands, open a hugely popular nightclub, have his own radio show, and you know, the usual boring by the book stuff like that.

While I'm sort of impressed at my early signs of good taste, constantly seeing him plastered across 20 story buildings can throw me!

As a matter of fact, I saw him and his picture perfect child at the Whole Foods market yesterday and had a momentary blush-swoon-blush, though this time I managed to say hello in a normal voice. After that though, I actually had to force myself to not follow him down the frozen food aisle, where he was stocking up on frozen peas and ice cream (I wonder if the model is preggers?) but did *ahem* manage to bump into him in the produce section and twice over the tomato products. What can I say, old flames die hard.

In tribute to his extra-foxy, extra-fine self, I am posting a recipe for Sundried Tomato Polenta circles, simply because while I absolutly was not following him down the asiles, trying to look casual, I managed to pick up all the ingredients for this, and wanted to share.

So, should your teenaged celebrity crush ever show up at one of your parties I recommend making this. Now that you are an adult and in control you can make HIM swoon.


1 cup polenta
salt
1 teaspoon fresh herbs, minced (I use thyme)
1 cup oven dried tomatoes
1/4 cup cured black olives
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon freshly
grated orange zest
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Mince together the tomatoes, olives, capers and shallots. Add the zest, salt pepper and a few drops of olive oil. Season to taste.

Lightly oil a large baking sheet, set aside

In a large pot bring 2 cups of water to a gentle simmer. Salt the water, add the minced herbs and then add your polenta in a slow stream, stirring with a whisk until thickened, then changing to a wooden spoon, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until the polenta is thick and soft, about 25 minutes.

Pour the cooked polenta onto your oiled baking sheet, and do your best to smooth it out to about ¼ inch thickness. Let cool completely.

Using a small round cutter, cut out rings of the polenta. Top with the tomato mix and some grated parmesan.

Alternatively, you can cut the polenta into wedges and serve as an appetizer instead of as finger food.

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