Kitchen Sink Polenta

Now that Purim (just another holiday which gives Jews an excuse to eat, drink and be merry) has come and gone, I have set out on a personal culinary quest of ridding my pantry of all grains and legumes before the start of Passover. Last weekend, I cleaned out my refrigerator. I threw away several botched fermented vegetable experiments. Even though I knew I'd never eat the funky cabbage, moldy cukes or slimy beets, it was sad to see them go down the drain (they didn't smell so good either). I wiped down the shelves with biodegradable kitchen cleaner and shook all the dried bits of onion and garlic skins out of the veggie drawers. What a relief!

So now, I have to tackle the cupboard. I've got opened packages of brown rice, amaranth, lentils, rice noodles and more. What shall I do with all the random dribs and drabs of loose bulk grains left over from the cooking classes I've taught this past winter? Time to get creative - the thing I like best about being a chef.

I thought I'd begin my spring cleaning project by tackling the polenta:

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Kitchen Sink Polenta

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup minced onion

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt (the amount will depend on the type of broth you use)

1/2 cup polenta (aka. cornmeal grits)

1/4 cup amaranth

6 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/2 - 1 cup grated Havarti cheese (or whatever kind you have on hand)

3 Tablespoons chopped herbs (I used parsley and basil in this recipe)

salt & black pepper, to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add broth, water and salt and bring to a boil. Whisk in polenta and amaranth, stirring. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is quite thick - about 20 minutes.

3. Stir in olive, cheese and herbs. Cook another couple minutes and season with salt & pepper.