Super green kale polenta made with a kale puree, handfuls of parmesan cheese, and dollops of mascarpone cheese.
It’s my birthday month!!
That means I get to eat all the cake (<– it’s calorie free in your birthday month, obvs) along with all of my favorite green food and my family CAN’T EVEN COMPLAIN.
Well, they can. And do. But I just don’t listen.
Like the night we had this kale polenta and you should have seen all the eye rolls and heard all the emphatic sighs of disbelief coming from the peanut gallery. But then ALL THE SILENCE as they shoveled all the spoonfuls into their mouth.
Total mom win.
This kale polenta starts with a simple kale puree made with soft and tender boiled garlic, wilted kale, and lots of olive oil. It is pretty bitter but that is offset perfectly by all the mascarpone and parmesan cheese that gets stirred into the impossibly creamy polenta. Each bite is a mix of decadence and good-for-you greens.
I recommend serving this with a bowl of hearty bean ragout or a veggie-filled tomato sauce. A simple fish dish would be great also if you’re of the pescatarian sort.
- 5 medium garlic cloves
- 1 lb lacinato kale, stems removed
- kosher salt
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 2 cups coarse stone-ground polenta
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup kale puree
- 2 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 3 tbsp mascarpone
- coarsely ground black pepper
- Place 4 of the garlic cloves in a medium pot and fill it with water. Bring to a boil. Add kosher salt to the pot and then add the kale. Cook until the kale is tender, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the garlic cloves from the pot and set them aside. Drain the kale and when it is cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible. Roughly chop it along with the boiled garlic and the remaining raw garlic clove.
- Combine the kale, garlic, and flaky sea salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the ingredients are finely chopped, about 45 seconds. Add in the oil and process until smooth.
- Combine 7 cups of water and the salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add the polenta slowly, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the polenta begins to thicken and combine completely with the water, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is tender, about 45 minutes.
- Stir in the olive oil, kale puree, and parmesan cheese. Cook for a few minutes more, stirring occasionally. Take the pot off the heat and stir in 2 tbsp of the mascarpone cheese. Top with the remaining mascarpone, another handful of parmesan cheese, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm.
Why is green food so gorgeous? I should have been born in Oz.