Italian Polenta Grill

By EdieK

Preparation

Step 1

Appetizer: Grilled portobello-pancetta kebabs
Alternate chunks of portobello mushrooms and pieces of pancetta (or thick bacon) on skewers. Grill the kebabs over a moderate fire, turning and brushing them to distribute the bacon fat, until they're nicely browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Main: Grilled polenta with tomatoes and gorgonzola
Make a batch of polenta, pour it into a large pan, and let it cool. (Or just use the stuff that comes in a tube.) Cut it into triangles. Brush the polenta and several whole ripe tomatoes with olive oil. Grill the tomatoes over the center of a hot fire; toast the polenta on the cooler edges. Chop the tomatoes. Serve the polenta topped with tomatoes, crumbled gorgonzola, and fresh sage.

Side: Blackened zucchini
Rub a couple of medium zucchinis with olive oil and char them whole over a hot fire. Split them in half lengthwise, splash on some balsamic vinegar, and add salt and lots of black pepper.

Dessert: Sweet bruschetta
Mix half a stick of softened butter with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and spread it on several thick slices of crusty bread. Cut a dozen or so plums in half and remove the pits. Grill the bread and plums until the bread is crisp and the plums are soft. Keep them separate until ready to serve, and then top the bread with the plums and their juices, along with some whipped cream, if you'd like.