Brighton Blue Cheese Polenta with Braised Spring Onions and Spinach

Brighton Blue Cheese Polenta with Braised Spring Onions and Spinach

As part of my #EatDrinkSussex series I have been developing some recipes using a selection of Sussex cheeses from La Cave a Fromage in Hove, East Sussex.  The Brighton Blue - a semi-soft cows milk cheese - made by High Weald Dairy was next on my list.  Brighton Blue was a recent winner of a bronze medal at the International Cheese Show in Nantwich, which is not surprising news.  The Brighton Blue is a wonderfully mellow blue cheese, with a touch of saltiness and sharpness.  The piquancy develops as it matures and the blue veins become stronger in colour and flavour over time.  It would be great on its with some crusty bread, or melting on a rare steak however I wanted to incorporate it into a recipe...

So wondering how to showcase the Brighton Blue and not mask it in other conflicting flavours was my main concern.  Inspired by the perfect match that is cheese and onion I came up with this recipe for Brighton Blue Cheese Polenta with Braised Spring Onions and Spinach.  Now cheese and onion is a match you cannot argue with, so I did not want to mess around with the ingredients too much. The resulting dish is one I hope of simple, distinct flavours which I hope you will try and enjoy.

I made my polenta from scratch, stirring away for what seemed like ages to avoid the dreaded 'lumps' that can often be the case.  You can of course use instant polenta (which is part cooked) and therefore cut down your stirring and cooking time (and aching arms!).

The giant spring onions, one of my favourite seasonal vegetables, are simply braised in butter and water and become soft and sweet in the cooking process.  This sweetness contrasts well with the tangy, salty Brighton Blue polenta and the dish is finished off with some wilted spinach and more Brighton Blue crumbled on top of the finished dish.  A grating of lemon zest added to the the dish at the end adds a citrus zing and freshness to cut through the fattiness of the cheese.

A good variation of this recipe if you don't fancy making the polenta would be to serve the braised onions, spinach and Brighton Blue cheese on a big doorstep slice of toasted sourdough - delicious.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and try it out.  Let me know how it goes... 

Brighton Blue Cheese Polenta with Braised Spring Onions and Spinach

serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main course 

preparation time:  5 minutes
cooking time:  40 minutes

ingredients:

150g Brighton Blue Cheese
1 cup polenta (fine cornmeal)
4 cups water
4 large spring onions/salad onions (or 2 regular sized bunches of spring onions)
200g spinach
zest of 1 lemon
20g butter
salt and pepper

method:

1. preheat the oven to 180C 
2. place your spring onions in a roasting tin (if using the large spring onions slice in half) and dot with the butter, season with salt and pepper, add an inch or so of water to the pan to help steam the onions.  
3. place the onions in the oven and leave to cook while you get on with the polenta - this should take about 25-30 minutes 
4. bring a pan of salted water to the boil then add your polenta in a steady stream whisking all the time to avoid lumps
5. keep stirring regularly for about 25-30 minutes over a gentle heat until you have a creamy, smooth polenta.  The stirring is what creates the creaminess as it helps release the starches in the cornmeal - and also stops it burning on the bottom of the pan!
6. when the polenta is done turn off the heat and add half your Brighton Blue cheese and stir it in.
7. check the polenta for seasoning then leave covered to one side whilst you wilt your spinach in a pan with just a splash of water.
8. next check your onions are softened and then remove from the oven - now everything should be done and you are ready to plate up 
9. spoon/pour your polenta onto a large serving platter followed by the spinach and then the spring onions.  
10. finish the dish with the rest of the Brighton Blue crumbled on top and the grated zest of a lemon - serve immediately.  

Brighton Blue cheese supplied by La Cave a Fromage

You can follow La Cave a Fromage on Twitter

#EatDrinkSussex is hosted by chip butties and noodle soup and highlights Sussex food and drink produce.  If you would like to feature on #EatDrinkSussex or have any suggestions please either leave a comment on the blog or contact me via Twitter and I will be in touch.   

I have entered this recipe into Javelin Warrior's Made with Love Mondays over at Cookin w/ Luv

easy cornbread with wild garlic and za'atar

My recipe for easy cornbread with wild garlic and za'atar.  I love cornbread - a quick and easy bread recipe made with cornmeal/polenta.  A great accompaniment to stews and soups but also lovely with cheese and salads as a simple lunch idea, or for breakfast.   

I added wild garlic and za'atar to this cornbread recipe to accompany part of a Middle Eastern style mezze selection I was preparing for dinner...and as you may have noticed I am currently obsessed with wild garlic!  

Cornbread can take many flavour combinations - how about trying caramelised onion and goats cheese, Cheddar and bacon?  Or just leave it plain - I think it's delicious either way.  

For more handy information and safety tips about foraging for wild garlic check out my previous posts for wild garlic with tofu, aubergine and oyster sauce and wild garlic minestrone soup.  I also found Galloway wild foods really useful with a wealth of information about foraging for wild garlic and other edibles. 

Let me know how you get on, and any other flavours you would like to try.  

serves 3-4 
preparation time:  5 minutes
cooking time:  20-25 minutes
recipe author:  chip butties and noodle soup

ingredients:

1 cup plain flour
1 cup fine cornmeal/polenta
1 tbs baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar/honey
2 eggs beaten
1 bunch wild garlic chopped (washed and cleaned well in cold running water) 
2 heaped tsp za'atar spice mix
salt and pepper

instructions:

1. heat the oven to 200C and grease a baking tin (about 20cm square size)
2. sieve the flour, cornmeal and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and add the za'atar and salt and pepper.
3. in a separate bowl mix together the eggs, sugar/honey, milk and vegetable oil.
4. add the two mixtures together with the chopped wild garlic and stir together quickly - do not over mix otherwise you will get a heavy cornbread.  
5. bake for about 20-25 minutes - until a skewer comes out clean and it's well risen
6. best served immediately!  

For other recipes using za'atar check out my za'atar roast potatoes and cumin roast lamb with za'atar spiced chickpeas.  

I am also entering this dish into the May herbs on Saturday challenge hosted by delicieux.  Organised by Karen at lavender and lovage. 

honey, walnut and cardamon baklava cake

An interesting combination of honey, walnut and cardamon in a polenta cake drizzled with a citrusy, sticky syrup.  Delicious :)  This recipe is inspired by the combination of baklava (a middle eastern/Mediterranean sweet) and a Jewish honey cake which is traditionally served at Rosh Hashanah.  This cake would make a great after dinner sweet with a black coffee (however I have also had it for breakfast -  all in the name of recipe testing....?!)


preparation time: 15-20 minutes
cooking time: 20-25 minutes

cake ingredients:
1 stick butter (at room temperature)
1 cup soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup crushed walnuts (this recipe would also work well with crushed pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts)
1 vanilla pod/1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups fine cornmeal/polenta
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 cardamon pods (seeds removed and crushed- about 1 tsp of seeds)
pinch of salt

syrup ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 tbs honey
1 cup water (or mix of water and orange/lemon juice)
vanilla pod (left over from removing the seeds for the cake mixture)

• add the sugar and butter to a bowl and beat with an electric whisk for about 3-4 minutes - until it is lighter in colour and well combined

• add eggs and milk and whisk until combined - it may curdle but don't worry as that will change when you add the polenta/corn meal

• fold in the cornmeal/polenta, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, crushed walnuts, crushed cardamon seeds and a pinch of salt - mix until just combined - you don't want to over mix as this will produce a heavy cake.

• pour the cake batter into a greased/lined baking dish/tin.  I used a rectangular dish approx 10x14 inches.

• smooth over the top of the cake and bake for about 20 minutes until it is golden and feels firm to the touch

• while the cake is baking add all the syrup ingredients together and bring to the boil for about 1 minute - or until the sugar is dissolved.  Be careful - hot sugar syrup splashing onto skin NOT good! Carefully take off the heat and leave to one side until the cake is done.   
• when cake is removed from oven carefully pour syrup all over the cake then leave to cool before slicing into squares.

polenta gnocchi with super-green florentine sauce! (and it's gluten free and vegetarian too!)

A great winter warming recipe - polenta gnocchi with a watercress, spinach and rocket Florentine sauce all topped with parmesan - great as a vegetarian main meal or a side dish with a hearty stew or casserole.

Inspired by gnocchi Romana which is traditionally made with semolina and prepared simply with butter and parmesan. I have added this super-green Florentine to try and add a tasty little boost to my immune system in this cold and flu season.

The super-greens (watercress, spinach and rocket) add lots of vitamins and antioxidants as well as a lovely peppery taste which works well with the crème fraiche that makes the super simple super-green Florentine sauce!

This is a really simple recipe - the hardest bit is stirring the polenta while it cooks and thickens up - which does give you arms a bit of a work out but listen to some music and it'll be over in no time - no pain no gain as they say ;)

This is also a great gluten-free and vegetarian dish.

serves 3-4 as a main or 6 as a side dish

preparation time: 45 minutes (plus about 1 hour cooling time)

cooking time: 20 minutes

ingredients:

polenta gnocchi

3 cups fine/coarse cornmeal/polenta

6 cups water

30g grated parmesan/pecorino

1 tbs butter

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

black pepper to taste

1 tbs chopped sage leaves

few gratings of nutmeg

super-green florentine sauce

300ml creme fraiche (mascarpone/soft cheese would also work well)

100g mixed spinach, watercress, rocket leaves

black pepper to taste

30-50g parmesan or pecorino cheese to grate on top before baking

• pre-heat the oven to 200C
• add salt, chopped sage and nutmeg to the water and bring to the boil in a large saucepan
• when boiling add the polenta in a steady stream to prevent lumps (do as I say not as I do as I accidentally added in one big clump which made it harder work to get the lumps out!)
• stir, stir, and then stir some more - for about 30-45 minutes with a wooden spoon until the polenta starts to leave the sides of the pan and has thickened up and all lumps are gone.
• take off the heat and add the grated cheese and butter - stir until combined then tip onto a greased surface or tray
• spread out with a knife to about 1.5cm thick (dipping the knife in boiled water helps prevent the polenta sticking to it) then leave until completely cool. You can put in fridge to speed things up, but I left mine on the work surface and it was cold in about 1 hour.
• cut into small circles (I used a 5cm cutter) to make your polenta gnocchi and then put into a greased oven dish slightly overlapping
• you can add any offcuts together and flatten again to cut out more gnocchi if you still have some left over or save in the fridge for another day.
• chop the watercress, spinach and rocket roughly then add to the creme fraiche to make your super-green Florentine sauce - add black pepper to taste.
• top the gnocchi with the sauce then add more grated cheese to top before baking.
• bake at 200C for about 20 minutes - until the gnocchi are heated through and the top is golden and bubbling
  I served this with a fresh, super-green leaf and beetroot salad.