It’s been a whirlwind week ’round these parts.
Aside from a M-F desk job, I’ve recently opened up a baking business. This means I spend my time covered in flour, smelling like buttercream, and harassing my family to try anything and everything that has been coming out of the test kitchen.
I usually try to post a new recipe once a week, usually on Sundays, but admittedly I’ve been slipping on that. Oh well….in other news, I am happy to report that I have an herb garden. By herb garden, I mean that two out of twelve plants I put into the container garden are not dead.
If you look real closely, you can see that I’ve managed to keep alive both parsley and thyme. I have NO idea what the green tuft is by the shot glass, so if anyone knows feel free to leave a comment.
Today marked my first day at the Little Elm Farmer’s Market. I might have spent more money on buying stuff there than I did making money from sales, but oh well. A gal’s gotta eat, right?
My baker’s assistants daughters bought a bag of lovely cherry tomatoes for me. Isn’t that sweet? I put them to good use, roasting them with some Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil, fresh thyme and parsley from my garden (squeeee!), and sea salt and pepper.
And, in true family tradition, I served the roasted tomatoes over something nobody in my family will eat: polenta. That doesn’t stop me from cooking it. I love, love, love it. And since I’m the boss, they get polenta. Done deal.
I like my polenta firm; that is, from the shelf-stable tubes you can purchase at the grocery store. It’s, quick, simple, and mighty tasty when lightly pan fried in some olive oil.
This could be served with any number of main dishes: a firm, mild white fish, grilled chicken breast, or with a side salad for an easy lunch.
Ingredients: Directions:Thyme Roasted Tomatoes with Grilled Polenta
2 lbs. cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
2 T. fresh thyme leaves
1 T. fresh Italian parsley
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
3 T. Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil
1 lb. tube of prepared Polenta (look in the Italian foods section)
2 tsp. Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine halved cherry tomatoes with thyme, parsley, 1 tsp. sea salt, ½ tsp. ground black pepper, and 3 T. Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil.
4. Spread tomato mixture onto prepared baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, slice polenta into 12 even “rounds” and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.
6. In a large, non-stick skillet heat 1 tsp. Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil over medium heat. Grill polenta six slices at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pan, for about 3 minutes on each side. Repeat with remaining polenta slices and remaining 1 tsp. Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil.
7. Line polenta slices on a serving platter (rectangular works best). Spoon roasted tomatoes over top of slices; garnish with grated or shaved Parmesan.
recipes from the birdcage. 