Butternut or Pumpkin Polenta

This recipe uses the regular long cooking polenta. If you want to use quick polenta, follow the recipe on the package, cutting out one quarter of the liquid and replacing it with twice as much cooked, mashed squash. Make this into a tasty desert by stirring in a bit of sugar and pumpkin pie spice, then serving with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups of water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup polenta
• 2 tablespoons oil or butter
• 1 handful grated cheese (if desired)
• 1 cup cooked, pureed winter squash.

Directions

Bring half of the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk the other half with cornmeal. Pour cornmeal mixture into boiling water slowly, stirring well. Turn heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. At this point the mixture should be fairly thick. Stir in the pureed squash and cook about 10 more minutes. Add butter (and cheese, if using). Serve soft in bowls or spread in a greased pan and cool until firm. Cut into squares or triangles and sauté or broil until
slightly brown and crispy.

Submitted by Sara Jones, Tucson CSA