1 tablespoon garlic, minced
4 1/2 fluid ounces olive oil
1 quart vegetable stock
5 1/2 cups milk
6 ounces butter
1 pound cornmeal
3 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped
10 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste
2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/4 in. thick
2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise 1/4 in. thick
6 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned
8 fluid ounces balsamic vinegar
6 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded
30 asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched
6 morels, cut in half, washed
12 fresh basil leaves
12 fluid ounces Smoked Tomato Coulis, recipe follows
Servings: 6
1. Sauté the garlic in 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the stock, milk and butter and bring to a boil.
2. Slowly stir in the cornmeal to avoid lumping. Simmer for 15 minutes, add the herbs and 7 ounces (210 grams) of the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Oil a half sheet pan with 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of olive oil. Pour the polenta into the pan, level with a spatula, cover and refrigerate.
3. Toss the zucchini, yellow squash and portabella caps in a small amount of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill until tender.
4. Cut six circles out of the polenta with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) round cutter. Split each circle in half horizontally.
5. In a small saucepan, reduce the balsamic vinegar to a syrup.
6. Shingle the slices of grilled zucchini on a work surface and cut six 4-inch (10-centimeter) circles from them. Follow the same procedure with the yellow squash. Cut the portabella mushrooms and bell peppers into 4-inch (10-centimeter) circles. Place the vegetable rounds on a sheet pan.
7. Sauté the asparagus spears and morels in a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
8. At service time, sauté the polenta disks in a small amount of olive oil until hot. Reheat the vegetable circles briefly in a hot oven. Place one of the polenta disks on each of six plates. Layer the vegetable circles alternately on the polenta base, sprinkling the remaining Parmesan between each layer. Top each stack with another polenta disk.
9. Serve each napoleon with Smoked Tomato Coulis and garnish with the asparagus spears, morels, fresh basil and balsamic syrup.
4 1/2 fluid ounces olive oil
1 quart vegetable stock
5 1/2 cups milk
6 ounces butter
1 pound cornmeal
3 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped
10 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste
2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/4 in. thick
2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise 1/4 in. thick
6 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned
8 fluid ounces balsamic vinegar
6 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded
30 asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched
6 morels, cut in half, washed
12 fresh basil leaves
12 fluid ounces Smoked Tomato Coulis, recipe follows
Servings: 6
1. Sauté the garlic in 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the stock, milk and butter and bring to a boil.
2. Slowly stir in the cornmeal to avoid lumping. Simmer for 15 minutes, add the herbs and 7 ounces (210 grams) of the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Oil a half sheet pan with 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of olive oil. Pour the polenta into the pan, level with a spatula, cover and refrigerate.
3. Toss the zucchini, yellow squash and portabella caps in a small amount of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill until tender.
4. Cut six circles out of the polenta with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) round cutter. Split each circle in half horizontally.
5. In a small saucepan, reduce the balsamic vinegar to a syrup.
6. Shingle the slices of grilled zucchini on a work surface and cut six 4-inch (10-centimeter) circles from them. Follow the same procedure with the yellow squash. Cut the portabella mushrooms and bell peppers into 4-inch (10-centimeter) circles. Place the vegetable rounds on a sheet pan.
7. Sauté the asparagus spears and morels in a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
8. At service time, sauté the polenta disks in a small amount of olive oil until hot. Reheat the vegetable circles briefly in a hot oven. Place one of the polenta disks on each of six plates. Layer the vegetable circles alternately on the polenta base, sprinkling the remaining Parmesan between each layer. Top each stack with another polenta disk.
9. Serve each napoleon with Smoked Tomato Coulis and garnish with the asparagus spears, morels, fresh basil and balsamic syrup.
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