Project Description

Recipe Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive or salad oil

  • 2 cups finely chopped onions (2 medium)

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

  • 2 3/4 cups chicken broth

  • 1 cup polenta or coarse yellow cornmeal

  • 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots (4-5 medium)

  • Basil dressing (recipe follows) or 2/3 cup bottled basil vinaigrette dressing

  • 3 cups cooked* or 2 cans (15 oz. each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Basil Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves or 1/4 cup dry basil

  • 1/3 cup cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup olive or salad oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cooking Steps

In a 4-5 quart saucepan, combine oil, onions and garlic. Stir often over medium heat until onion is golden, about 20 minutes. Add broth and polenta; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to simmer, cook and stir for about 15 minutes (polenta thickens quickly but needs more cooking to be stiff enough). Smooth surface of polenta and let cool in pan until firm, at least 1 hour (or cover and chill until next day).

In a large skillet, simmer carrots in 1-inch of boiling water until tender to bite, about 4 minutes. Drain and cool.

Prepare Basil Dressing. In a large bowl, gently combine kidney beans, carrots and dressing; set aside up to 4 hours.

Run a knife around edge of polenta; invert polenta onto a board and cut into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to vegetables in bowl; mix salad gently. Garnish with basil sprigs; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Basil Dressing:

In a small bowl or shaker jar, combine all ingredients and mix well. Makes about 2/3 cups.

Makes about 7 cups. Serves 6.