Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1 tb Fruity olive oil
1 sm Yellow onion; chopped
2 lg Garlic cloves; minced
1 md Red sweet pepper
-- cored, seeded chopped
1/2 lb Mild Italian sausage
-- with fennel seed garlic
-- casing removed
1/2 lb Fresh crimini, button or
Other mushrooms as available
-- trimmed and thinly sliced
2 1/2 c Milk, broth or water
3/4 c Yellow cornmeal
-- preferably stone-ground
1 tb Fresh sage; chopped
1 tb Fresh Italian parsley
-- chopped
1/4 ts Ground cayenne pepper
1 c Skim or whole-milk ricotta
1/2 c Gruyere or
1/2 c Other Swiss cheese
-- shredded
Salt and pepper; to taste
4 tb Melted butter or margarine
4 tb Grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh Tomato Sauce*

-------------------------GARNISHES------------------------------
Italian parsley; chopped
Herb sprigs

*Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe posted separately.

Hill and Barclay write: "This is our idea of comfort food! Bland
cornmeal needs a real shot of flavor, so don't hold back on the
herbs."

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet; saute onion, garlic and sweet
pepper until hot through. Add crumbled sausage and continue cooking
just until meat changes color. Stir in mushrooms and cook until hot
through. Drain excess fat and set mixture aside.

Place milk or other liquid in a large, heavy saucepan over moderately
high heat; slowly add cornmeal, stirring briskly with a wire whisk to
prevent lumping. Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes, or until
mixture is very thick and smooth; stir constantly to prevent
scorching.

Remove pan from heat and stir in herbs, cayenne pepper, and ricotta
and gruyere cheeses. Add sausage and sweet pepper mixture, combine
well, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into two 9" pie plates lined with plastic wrap. Cool on
a wire rack, then cover and refrigerate at least an hour, or as long
as three days.

When ready to serve dish, preheat oven to 375 F. Cut polenta in
wedges and place on an oiled shallow baking pan large enough to hold
polenta in one layer without crowding. Drizzle with melted butter and
sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until polenta is
lightly browned and very hot when tested with a small knife in center
of wedge. Serve with Fresh Tomato Sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh
parsley and sprigs of herbs.

From Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay's "Sage through the Ages" article
in "The Herb Companion." Dec. 1993/Jan. 1994, Vol. 6, No. 2. Pg. 32.
Posted by Cathy Harned.

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