Gluten Freebird

Saturday was one of those glorious, warm, breezy summer days where people inexplicably fly kites off the apartment building roof and fireflies seem to light up everywhere.

We took advantage of the twilight with a dinner picnic in Kalorama Park. Friends brought fresh fruit, chicken salad, hummus and veggies.

Gluteneer and I are still defying the odds on THE CLEANSE, so we brought our own food.

If you’re wondering how it’s coming, it has highs and lows. Low: My mouth watered last week during a commercial for a dancing Chips Ahoy cookie. I can’t even eat cookies, but those melting, decadent chocolate chips were calling my name.

The highs? Well, our picnic dinner was a huge high. Using farmers market and CSA veggies, we made a light ratatouille of eggplants, fresh tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms served over vegan polenta, made with soy mozzarella and saffron. I’ve been eating it leftover ever since. The polenta is best warmed, but the ratatouille can be hot, room temperature or chilled.

It would’ve been great with a jammy Italian red, but we satisfied ourselves with Pellegrino. Hey, there’s always next time! Recipe follows.

Ratatouille with Polenta

For the ratatouille:
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 large onion, diced
4 small eggplants, diced (we used white eggplants from the market)
1 pint mushrooms (baby bella or porcini), sliced
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 small zucchini, cut into crescents
1 pound tomatoes, diced,
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup fig or balsamic vinegar
4-5 tsp total dried herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano, marjoram)
Salt
Pepper

For the polenta:
1 cup polenta cornmeal
4 cups (1 package) vegetable stock
½ cup grated cheese (soy cheese, parm regg or whatever you like)
Pinch of saffron
Salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a large heat-proof Dutch oven or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.

Add eggplants, mushrooms, zucchini, and pepper and cook five more minutes.

Add tomatoes and stock, stirring to combine. Then add vinegar, herbs and salt and pepper. Allow to simmer three minutes.

Move the pot to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, until tender, stirring halfway through.

While the veggies roast, make the polenta.

Bring the broth to a light simmer in a sturdy stockpot. Add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking as you pour. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring the broth to a high simmer and pour the cornmeal into the simmering broth in an even, steady stream, whisking as you go.

Stir constantly until the polenta begins to pull away from the side of the pot (approximately 15 minutes). Stir in cheese, saffron, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Immediately transfer the polenta to serving vessel. It will firm up, so you can put it into tins or cups to make shapes.

To serve, cut slices of polenta and top with heaping ladles of ratatouille.