Tasty Dinner: Kale & Mushrooms over Polenta

One of the great parts about living in Northern California is the opportunity to get fresh produce year-round. My wife and I went to a wonderful farmers market this past weekend and have decided to start planning our menu around those vegetables and fruits that are only in season. This approach allows us to save some cash too, as produce that isn't locally grown or in season locally can be much more expensive to pickup at the grocery store. This recipe is actually one we picked up at the farmers market. We thoroughly enjoyed this dish and served it as the main course, however, it could be served as an excellent side-dish.

Here is the recipe:

1.25 c. Kale, chopped
Mushrooms (we used oyster and crimini)
Pancetta (Italian bacon) or regular bacon
Garlic
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. uncooked polenta
2 c. milk

Start out by boiling the chopped kale in salted boiling water until softened, roughly 7-10 minutes with a rolling boil. In the meantime, begin cooking the bacon. Once the bacon is cooked to a nice, crispy texture, remove it from the pan with a pair of tongs. Be sure to leave the bacon drippings in the pan. Drain the kale and let it continue to drain while you cook the polenta. Add the mushrooms to the bacon drippings and sautee until softened. Add the kale, garlic, and chicken broth to the mushrooms and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

To cook polenta, start the 2 c. of milk to boil. Slowly add in the polenta, continually stirring until thickened, roughly 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately for this dish. Ladle the kale/mushroom mixture over the polenta and serve while hot. Optionally, you can also add some grated parmesan cheese to the polenta prior to serving to add a bit of a bite!