PAPER CHEF: March

It's Paper Chef time. I am so excited because it has been several months since I participated. This month the ingredients of choice were: anchovies, figs, polenta and mint. I didn't like my first creation, although if I played with it more I probably could have come up with something more suitable. The second creation was pretty good. Great for bruschetta.
And Lawd! I have to tell you that polenta fries are awesome. Crunchy and corny, they were awesome with the tapenade and this (below) raspberry salsa.


This pic is a rockin' Saturday night date with my hubbie. Bailey's Irish Cream, polenta fries and a game. This is how we spend most Saturday nights. Usually it's Scrabble but we decided this past weeked to live on the edge and play Battleship. Yeah Baby. But seriously, when you are married with young children this is a great, free date! Works for us!

On with the recipes.

Minted Fig Canapes

1 clove garlic, minced
8 dried figs
1/2 cup of port
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried
1 1/2 anchovies
1 tablespoon capers, reserving a few for decoration

Combine figs, port, water, mint, anchovies in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Heat until the figs are plump. Add capers and pulse in a processor until coarsely chopped. Heap onto polenta rounds and top with reserved capers.

Polenta Rounds and Fries

In a large sauce pan heat 4 cups of water with 1 teaspoon salt. In a bowl combine cornmeal and 2 cups water. Add to salted water when it comes to a boil. Boil for about twenty mintues until it is thickened. Pour into a greased cookie sheet. Cool overnight in the refrigerator. Cut into rounds the following day. Or cut into sticks for fries.

For polenta fries, spray with cooking oil and bake at 375F until they become crisp. Turning over to crisp up on other side.

Fig and Olive Tapenade

Using the above mixture, I added 2 more cloves of garlic and about 8 large green olives.I processed it until it was ground finer.