About that breakfast...

Amidst yesterday's hustle and bustle, I did manage to treat myself to a good breakfast. It was a meal I've been thinking about for weeks, and last Tuesday I took the time to acquire the proper foodstuffs to pull it off. From Marlow & Daughters, I got a bag of flint corn polenta, so flaky and golden it could pass for confetti. I'd also picked up a few cans of San Marzano tomatoes and eggs. From my CSA share, I had some beautiful purple potatoes that I'd roasted over the weekend with some dried rosemary. There were only a few wedges left (they were almost as good as French fries), so rather than reheat them, I moved them from the refrigerator to the counter to bring them to room temperature. Then, I set to work on the polenta.

Confession: until last week, I'd never made polenta. It's always seemed so labor-intensive, and in that unpractical. In college, I would buy pre-made polenta to fry, but my vision involved creamy polenta, the kind that satisfies like steel-cut oats and wouldn't seem too out of place alongside poached eggs and coffee. My craving was fierce, and so I had no choice but to turn to the Internet. Turns out, making polenta isn't hard; it's boring. Other than salt and water, it requires only constant stirring, so I was forced to stand attention over the stove for roughly 30 minutes while the grains congealed. While I did this, I warmed a tomato sauce I had made days earlier by sautéeing (in extra-virgin olive oil) half an onion, one red pepper, and a healthy handful of washed, dried and chopped braising greens. Once these had cooked down, I stirred in one can of peeled and whole San Marzano tomatoes, which broke down into soft and tender chunks. I seasoned this to taste. (Sauces like this are easy to make and store. I prefer chunky sauces for their versatility -- they can be used atop pastas, polentas and other grains, and they make great bruschetta, too.)

As my polenta neared completion, I brought a small pot of water and a few dashes of vinegar to boil for poaching eggs. While they cooked (2 to 3 minutes), I smeared a generous spoonful of polenta onto a plate and topped it with a spoonful of tomato sauce. The eggs nestled perfectly into this, and -- when broken -- married the flavors in the exact way I'd hoped. It was comforting, savory and a little sweet, too. Most importantly, it was hearty, and some days demand a hearty breakfast. Considering the amount of time it took to prepare, I don't think I'll recreate this one too often. That said, yesterday's was my third helping.