Mediterranean Vegetable Ragout with Creamy Polenta
That dang antipasti bar at The Food Hole sucks me in everytime!
For all of you who don’t live in Austin and don’t know what I’m talking about, let me tell you, this thing is a doozie. It’s this huge bar with about 4 or 5 dozen different things to choose from – like capers and marinated cheeses and marinated artichokes and piquillo peppers and caperberries. And roasted and marinated eggplant. And roasted red bell peppers. And marinated white beans. And, don’t even get me started on the huge olive bar that is right next to it. Oy vey!
Luckily, this time a pretty darn tasty meal came out of an unsuccessful attempt to turn my head away from the table of goodies and walk the other way. Unable to control myself, I grabbed a container and started filling it with Davina Roasted Tomatoes, capers, marinated artichoke hearts, and some Kalamata olives. Normally, this is my snack on the way home from the store, but I was able to exercise some form of restraint and I waited until I got home to pop the top.
What is great about this dish and any ragout, really, is that you can sneak in tons of veggies. Although this one is already pretty packed, you can still add spinach, diced carrots, yellow squash, sliced cremini mushrooms, or 1 inch pieces of asparagus. So feel free to experiment with what veggies ultimately appear in this dish. No matter which ones you choose, it will be a super delicious meal.
MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLE RAGOUT WITH CREAMY POLENTA
serves two to four
2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Japanese eggplant, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 Tbs. anchovy paste, optional for vegetarians and vegans, but it really adds a nice flavor
1/4 cup white wine
5 sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated in water for 1 hour and thinly sliced
a few Davina Roasted Tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, stemmed, and diced
2 Tbs. capers, drained
2 Tbs. Kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbs. tomato sauce
1 tsp. fresh chopped oregano
1 Tbs. fresh chopped basil
1/2 cup cooked Great Northern Beans
1 tsp. agave nectar
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked warm polenta (If you don’t know how to make polenta, try making it like this.)
1. In a large pot over high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the red onion and garlic and saute until the onion begins to soften slightly. Add the eggplant and zucchini. Cook until most of the liquid in the pot has been absorbed and the veggies begin to brown. Add the anchovy paste, stir it around a bit, and then deglaze the pot with the white wine.
2. When the alcohol has cooked off of the wine, add the sun-dried tomatoes, Davina roasted tomatoes, red bell pepper, capers, olives, and artichoke hearts. Stir and cook this all together for a few minutes before adding the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add the fresh herbs, cover the pot and let simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until it has a stew-like consistency.
3. Stir in the agave nectar to balance the acidity and saltiness of the sauce. Add the beans and cook just long enough to heat through. Serve a big spoonful of the ragout over the polenta. Garnish with parmesan, vegan parmesan, nutritional yeast, feta, or pecorino romano cheese, if desired, and dig in.
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I LOVE You! This is yum!