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recipes by Peggy Markel

Polenta Fiorentina
Salsa di Funghi dal Bosco
Cavolo Nero Ignorante

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POLENTA FIORENTINA

1 cup fine ground polenta grits or granturco finé
5 cups water
salt to taste
1/4 pound of fontina cheese, grated
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
4 tablespoons butter
1 tbs of freshly chopped rosemary

Bring five cups of water to the boil. Add a small palm-full of salt. Most importantly, whisk the grits or fine corn flour into the salted boiling water, to prevent lumping. Turn heat to very low.

It will start to bubble and let off steam. Pay attention that it doesn't burn you.

Stir it often, but not consistently. Let it form a film on the bottom of your pan.

Stir on top of the film, being careful not to disturb the bottom layer.

Let the polenta cook for an hour or so. Baby it. As it starts to thicken, add the chopped rosemary. Cook until you get the consistency you are looking for. It should be soft and smooth, almost like cake batter. Stir in the cheeses and let it marry. Pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top. Check taste to see if it needs more salt. Serve hot. Add your sauce as a dollop on top of an individual bowl of polenta, or serve the polenta on a platter with the sauce in the middle and pray that it's as good as the last one.

Sauce alternatives:
Polenta with pesto or layered with pesto
Polenta with cavolo nero
Polenta with gorgonzola
Polenta with sausage and cannellini beans
Polenta with a spicy tomato sauce

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SALSA DI FUNGHI FRESCHI dal BOSCO
Fresh forest mushroom sauce
1 lb of gallinelli, chanterelle or your favorite mushrooms
2 shallots, chopped
a clove of garlic, peeled and left whole
salt and pepper
a dash of white wine
several sprigs of thyme, stemmed and sprinkled

Sauté funghi and the whole garlic clove in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt, add the thyme and splash a dash of white wine. Toss in the pot until they start to give up their liquid. Don't leave too long on the fire. Let them be soft but not overcooked.

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CAVOLO NERO IGNORANTE
1 lb of black cabbage (or dinosaur kale)
3 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of water

Clean the cavolo nero by removing the leaves from the stems. Wash well in a large bowl of water. Drain. Chop roughly. Sauté in garlic and olive oil. Add a 1/4 cup of water to steam. Salt to taste. On the plate, add a drizzle of your best extra-virgin olive oil.

PEGGY MARKEL'S Culinary Adventures in Tuscany, Sicily, Morocco and the United States bring friends to the table in pursuit of pleasure, culture and community. She has dedicated the past 14 years to offering groups an authentic experience of the materia prima that make for deep nourishment: peggymarkel.com