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Layered tomato and pepper polenta platter

Layered tomato and pepper polenta platter

Ingredients

200g fine cornmeal (polenta)
1 litre liquid (500ml water and 500ml whole milk)
1 tsp fine sea salt
50g salted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
2-4 large red Romano or/and green Turkish peppers, halved and deseeded
250g cherry tomatoes, on the vine
1 large bunch chard (around 200–250g), stalks and leaves chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Sea salt
100g feta, crumbled
2 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
Zest of 1/2 lemon
½ tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
3 tbsp Citizens of Soil Croatian EVOO (plus extra for cooking)

Garlicky chard, Romano peppers, and salty crumbly cheese sit on a bed of sunshine yellow polenta. The gentle yet vibrant Istrian Extra Rare olive oil brings this dish together beautifully.

Be transported to south-eastern Europe with a vegetarian twist on a popular dish of this region, dalmatinsko varivo (Dalmatian stew).

Made exclusively for the new drop of our Croatian Extra Rare, this recipe is bursting with flavours. The creamy polenta provides a sturdy bed for the cornucopia of colours, flavours, and textures, and allows this delicate oil to shine through.

"This is the perfect meal to enjoy outdoors," says Alissa Timoshkina, the creator of this recipe. Alissa is a chef, cookbook author and historian who specialises in Eastern European food culture and telling the stories of this region.

Enjoy the alfresco lifestyle this Bank Holiday weekend and discover a taste of this region.

Here's the method:

Feeds 4 as a main, or 6 as a side.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) / Gas 6.
Place the halved peppers and cherry tomatoes on separate baking trays. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, and roast the peppers for 20 minutes, until soft and lightly charred, and tomatoes for 10–15 minutes, until blistered and just bursting.
To make the sautéed chard, place 2 tbsp of olive oil in a cold frying pan and add the sliced garlic. Watch the garlic start to sizzle as the oil comes up to medium temperature, and gently cook 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add chopped chard, season, and sauté for 4–5 minutes until wilted and tender. Set aside.
To cook the polenta, bring 1 litre of liquid and 1 tsp of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in the polenta in a steady stream to avoid lumps.
Cook on low for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick, creamy and soft.
Stir in the butter and a little black pepper.
To serve, spoon the polenta immediately into a large serving dish or platter. Layer over the chard, peppers and cherry tomatoes.
Sprinkle generously with feta and dill.
Finish with a generous drizzle of Citizens of Soil Croatian EVOO, a sprinkle of chilli flakes and lemon zest.

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