&

Robert’s Fresh Pesto Sauce or Tomato Sauce with Basil

Polenta is a coarse corn meal that can be bought packaged in most grocery stores. When cooked and covered, it will keep in the refrigerator for several days. This recipe serves (8-10) as a main course.

Ingredients:
· 1 cup polenta
· 4 cups water
· 1 tsp salt
· 1 Tbsp butter
· 3 Tbsp virgin olive oil
· 1 fresh hot red pepper chopped fine or 1 tsp crushed dried red pepper
· 1 small mild pepper (Anaheim) chopped fine or 2 Tbsp red bell pepper
· Do not use a green bell pepper, it adds too much water
· 2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
· 2-3 Tbsp of chives or parsley, chopped fine

Bring water to a boil; add the butter, oil and salt. While boiling, slowly add the polenta stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat until it starts to thicken. Turn the heat down and continue to cook for 15 minutes while stirring frequently. It helps to use a thick bottomed pan to keep the polenta from sticking. The polenta is cooked when the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.

To the cooked polenta add the remaining ingredients: peppers, garlic, and chives or parsley. Pour the polenta onto a cookie sheet and spread evenly. Do this quickly as the polenta will start to set immediately. Put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for half an hour to cool. The polenta is now ready to be cut into three 4” squares then cut diagonally into triangles, three per serving.

To finish the polenta lay the triangles on a cookie sheet and brush the top of each one with melted butter and place under a broiler until brown, 8-10 minutes. When brown, turn over and brush the other side with butter. Broil until brown, another 8-10 minutes.

While the polenta is being browned, prepare the mushrooms. I use a combination of fresh white or brown mushrooms and the more exotic types that are now available in most specialty markets. The exotic mushrooms such as Shitake, Morels, and Oyster are expensive by the pound but a couple of handfuls don’t weigh much and add unique flavor.

Ingredients:
· 1 pound of regular fresh white or brown mushrooms
· ½ pound wild mushrooms
· 1 cup white wine
· 1 Tbsp Grapeseed oil (virgin olive oil okay)
· 2-3 Tbsp unsalted or lightly salted butter

Cleaning the mushrooms need not be a chore. I use a brush or terry cloth dish towel or a damp paper towel to remove the loose dirt. If you wash them, they absorb water.

Quarter the white mushrooms leaving the stems in place. Remove the stems from the wild mushrooms and cut them into thin strips. Tear the mushroom caps into long strips; they will look better than if they’ve been cut.

Heat up the sauté pan; add the oil, remembering what Jeff Smith would say, “hot pan, cold oil.”

White or brown mushrooms go in first because they soak up all the oil. When cooked, they will start to release the oil. When you notice this happening, remove them from the pan to stop the cooking. With the moisture left in the pan, sauté the wild mushrooms. The cut up Shitake stems (if used) take longer to cook. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes. They may brown slightly and should not be mushy. Remove them from the pan.

To assemble the dish…

Place 3 triangles onto a warm plate, overlapping the triangles.
Spoon the mushrooms over the polenta. Top each serving with a generous spoonful of the Pesto Sauce or Robert’s fresh tomato sauce with basil. Garnish with a few sprigs of parsley, chives or a few thinly sliced green onions. Serve immediately!!!

The grilled polenta with pesto sauce pairs well with the 2003 Sangiovese. The 2002 Super T-Rex pairs well with Robert’s fresh tomato sauce with basil.

---

Pesto Sauce

Pesto is our favorite summer sauce and there is nothing like sweet basil harvested fresh minutes before blending. We use pesto on polenta, pasta, pizza, steamed vegetables, and grilled chicken.

Ingredients:
· 2 cups firmly packed fresh basil
· ½ cup olive oil
· Juice from ½ lemon
· 3 Tbsp nuts (pine nuts or walnuts) optional
· 3-4 cloves garlic
· ¼ parmesan cheese
· Pinch of salt

Place basil, garlic, lemon, and salt in a food processor (nuts optional) and blend for a few seconds. The lemon keeps the basil bright green when processing. Slowly add olive oil while the processor is continuously running. Blend until smooth. Serve grated parmesan cheese on the table.

---

Robert’s Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce with Basil
(Salsa fresca della pasta del pomodoro con I funghi ed il basilica)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
· ¾ chopped onion
· 3 large garlic cloves (or more) crushed with a broad knife to remove skins, minced
· 3 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil (This can be virgin or black truffle GSO)
· 3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, about 6 large peeled and de-seeded
· ½ cup dry red wine
· ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
· 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
· ½ tsp sugar
· 1 tsp salt
· 1 cup fresh mushrooms or two packages of reconstituted dried mushrooms

Preparation:
Place tomatoes in boiling water for about 1 minute (parboil). The skins will then peel off. Hold them momentarily under running water to keep your hands from burning. Cut them in quarters and push out the seeds and gelatinous membrane around the seeds with your fingers and discard. Chop, do not puree the tomatoes.

The mushrooms should be brushed, not washed, and sliced about 1/8” thick. If dried mushrooms are used, re-hydrate them by placing them in boiling water, turn off the heat, let soak for a couple of minutes and drain. You can use any variety of fresh or dried mushrooms you like, try the gourmet mix.

Don’t chop the parsley and basil too finely. The red wine should be the same one you’re going to drink with dinner. I suggest the Deerfield 2003 Sangiovese or 2002 Super-T Rex.

Cooking:
Place the chopped onions and garlic in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven with the Grapeseed oil and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, add the tomatoes, parsley, most of the salt (reserve a pinch for the mushrooms), sugar, and red wine (everything but the basil and mushrooms). Cook for about 20-30 minutes. The idea is to cook the tomato sauce enough so that the flavors are developed and integrated yet retain the fresh tomato taste. Once the sauce comes to a boil turn the heat down so that it just simmers. (Slightly bubbling with no spattering).