Name: Polenta with Mushroom Ragout
Yield: 4 as a first course or side dish, 2 as a main course
Ingredients: 2 cups water; 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon peanut oil; 1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup); 5 ounces mushrooms (cultivated, wild, or a combination), trimmed, cleaned, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups); 3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped (2 teaspoons); 4 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/4 cups); 2 small ears corn, husked and kernels cut off (1 cup); 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or low-salt canned chicken broth; 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

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Polenta with Mushroom RagoutKimberly Sentner

Polenta is cornmeal and comes in yellow and white as well as in instant form. Served on soup plates and eaten with a spoon, this soft polenta is topped with a mushroom stew that is particularly delicious when it incorporates some wild varieties. A satisfying side, the polenta can also be served in larger portions as a vegetarian main course.

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