By Chef Linda
Summer is all about simplicity and the bounty that comes from our gardens and farmers markets which is one of the reasons we love this recipe. Zucchini, corn, and bell peppers all typify warm-weather eating. We’ve taken some liberties with the term “succotash”, which generally includes lima beans or other shell beans. Zucchini stands in for the beans and together with the bright yellow corn and vibrant red pepper, they create a confetti-like color bomb that is the perfect accompaniment to the soft, warm polenta. The directions advise you to cook the vegetables on the stovetop, but you could just as easily make a foil pouch and place it on the grill for about 15 minutes. And because this recipe is geared for speed and simplicity, we suggest using the store-bought polenta tube, but make your own, if you choose, then line a square baking dish with parchment and pour the cooked polenta into the dish. Smooth and let chill for about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and grill as directed below.
We recommend that you make pesto from scratch–try our recipe–or a favorite of your own, it’s just always so much fresher than store-bought this time of year! Stacks of grilled polenta topped with sweet summer vegetables, and drizzled with bright, sassy pesto…nope, summer eating doesn’t get much better than this.
Grilled Polenta with Summer Succotash
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cup fresh or defrosted frozen corn
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- Oil for brushing polenta
- 1 tube pre-made polenta, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 cup store-bought or homemade pesto
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Tear 2 large pieces of foil and set them on the counter. Divide the onion, zucchini, corn, bell peppers, jalapeño, garlic, oregano, black pepper, and salt between the two pieces of foil. Loosely seal the edges, creating two pouches. Set your grill to medium. Place the pouches on the grill, leaving room for the polenta. Cook vegetables for about 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking the vegetables, brush the polenta slices lightly with oil and place them directly on the grill and let cook for a couple of minutes, until you can easily lift them up with a spatula. Don't fuss with them; let them sear on the grill and you should be able to flip them easily. Cook for another minute or two. To serve, place 2 to 3 slices of polenta on a plate. Spoon vegetables over the polenta, drizzle with pesto, and garnish with fresh herbs. Not using a grill? Heat a teaspoon or two of oil in a pan (or use water) over medium-high heat. Add the onion and let cook for several minutes. Stir in zucchini, corn, bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, oregano, black pepper, and salt. Let everything cook for 3 to 4 minutes before stirring again so the vegetables get a nice sear on the bottom. Stir occasionally while cooking for 8 to 10 more minutes more, until vegetables are soft but not mushy. Transfer the vegetables to a plate and add a little more oil to the pan and arrange the polenta slices in the pan. Let them sear and cook for 2 to 3 minutes then using a spatula, carefully flip and quickly sear the other side. Serve as in directions above.
