Tuscan Polenta Fries with Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade

Introduction

Benvenuti! This dish is a love letter to the cucina povera, where we transform the humblest cornmeal into a celebration worthy of a piazza feast. In the spirit of today's reduced food festival, we honor the philosophy of using what we have—stale-stored polenta and the intense, sun-drenched preserves of last season—to create something crunchy, salty, and soulful.

Ingredients

• 250g coarse cornmeal (polenta)
• 1 liter water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles removed
• 100g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained (reserve the oil)
• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled
• Zest of one organic lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil for frying

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pot and add the sea salt.
2. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal in a steady stream to avoid lumps, then reduce the heat to low.
3. Stir the polenta regularly with a wooden spoon for about 35 to 40 minutes until it is thick and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pot.
4. Pour the hot polenta onto a parchment-lined tray, smoothing it to a thickness of 2cm. Allow it to cool and set completely for at least one hour.
5. While the polenta sets, create the tapenade by pounding the sun-dried tomatoes, capers, garlic, and lemon zest in a mortar and pestle until a rustic paste forms. Stir in a little of the reserved tomato oil for silkiness.
6. Once the polenta is firm, cut it into thick batons or wedges.
7. Heat a generous layer of olive oil in a wide skillet. Toss in the rosemary needles to infuse the oil until they are fragrant.
8. Fry the polenta batons in batches until each side is deeply golden and remarkably crispy. Drain them on a clean kitchen cloth.
9. Serve the warm fries immediately with the tapenade on the side for dipping.

Serve these golden treasures while the sun sets over the hills, perhaps with a glass of chilled Vermentino. It is the taste of the Tuscan spring, shared with love and a spirit that knows nothing is ever truly wasted. Buon appetito!

Isabella