Saturday, December 27, 2008

Polenta with spiced plums & cream


It has been a long time since I have had 3days off in a row...and it feels bloody fantastic! Today I am going into the city to try and find some shoes for my wedding dress, and maybe some others for good measure :).

Along with a lovely house, we also gained some lovely neighbours - the kind who actually wave when you drive by or invite you in for a cup of tea. Christmas was extra special this year as a few of our neighbours stopped past with gifts, on of which was a bag of fruit from their fruit trees (the area where we live was originally a fruit orchard and a lot of the residents have kept most of the fruit trees, we ourselves have two apple trees, two different plum trees, an apricot tree and a feijoa tree.) In the bag were some lovely little purple plums that were a little too sour to eat fresh so I thought I'd cook them for breakfast.

1 cup instant polenta
2 cups of water
pinch of salt
6 plums
1/2tsp of cinnamon
1/2tsp of nutmeg
1/4tsp of star anise
1/2 cup brown sugar
1tsp unsalted butter
3/4cup of pure cream

Boil water and salt in a saucepan. Once boiling add polenta and cook for a further two minutes and then take off the heat.
In a frying pan melt butter and add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and plums. Cook until sugar has melted and add 1/2cup of cream. Cook until plums are soft. Pour plums over polenta with a spoonful of cream.

ease: 5/5. prep time: 2mins to slice plums and gather ingredients.
cooking time: 10mins - water takes a little while to boil.
total: 12mins.

taste: 4/5. I loved the contrast of sweet and tart in the plum mixture - I would up the spices next time as I love the particular spices I used. I don't mind polenta but I think this would be awesome over porridge or muesli or french toast or even Greek yoghurt.

would I make it again: Yes - but not with polenta next time.

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