recipeworld

Sometimes, I have strange cooking urges. It usually happens in class.

I’ll be sitting in a classroom, half-listening to the professor, when suddenly, a craving overcomes me. They’re always different: potato and honey pizza, caramelized onions and apples, melted brown sugar on toast… they’re odd or may not work, but I decide, at that point, that there is something that I have to have, and then I figure out exactly when and how I am going to have it.

That’s what happened with this Peachy Polenta. I was sitting in class, minding my own business (and actually taking notes, for a change) when I suddenly decided that I had to have polenta and peaches together. I don’t know why, but that’s what my stomach told me. And over the past 21 years, I’ve learned that my stomach is usually right.

And it was. When I made this (for my dinner, oddly enough, although it would be much better as breakfast) it was better than I ever could have imagined. The polenta was creamy and perfect, while the peaches added just the right amount of sweetness. Sometimes my cravings are right on, and this was one of them.

Peachy Polenta

1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 4 oz. container plain, lowfat yogurt
1 peach, cut into sections

Heat the milk over low heat and add the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Slowly add the cornmeal, stirring all the time. If you find that the cornmeal soaks up the milk too quickly, you can add a little bit of water. When the polenta is cooked all the way through, turn off the stove and spoon about 3/4 of the yogurt container into the pot and stir. Place in a bowl and top with peach segments and the remaining yogurt. Serve hot with extra cinnamon if desired.

As far as dessert is concerned, I’m definitely a fruit girl.

None of these molten chocolate cakes or flourless fudge delights for me. When it comes to the end of a meal, I’m much more likely to choose cheese or coffee over something sweet, and if I am going to go the dolce route, it’s probably going to be lemon. Or pie.

Pie is one of those things that is just incredible, no matter who made it, where you got it, or how much of it you eat. When it comes to pie, I love buying the pre-made pies from a farm close to my Long Island house, heating them in the oven and having them à la mode with vanilla ice cream. Nothing fancy… just good.

When it comes to making pie, however… I get cold feet. Maybe it’s because I love pie so much… I’m scared to mess it up. Whatever the reason, when it comes to pie plates, the only thing being made in mine is crumble. This crumble. Which I love.

Stone Fruit Crumble

¾ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup crumbled sliced almonds
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick cold butter, sliced into pats
1 pound stone fruit, washed and sliced

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Mix flour, cup sugar, cup crumbled sliced almonds, and salt. Add butter and mix with hands until butter is in small pieces and coated. Spread fruit in a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie plate and sprinkle topping over it.

Bake crumble in middle of oven until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Note: The crumble works with nearly any fruit, although you may need to adjust baking times. Harder fruits like apples and pears will need a longer baking time, and softer fruit like berries will need less. With sweet fruits that have less tartness, add about a tablespoon of lemon juice and toss with the fruit before adding the topping. I usually use a mix of plums, peaches and green plums, so the tartness is already there.

Note 2: You can substitute oats for the almonds (or add both!) Also, depending upon the fruit used, spices can be added to the crumble topping, such as cinnamon for apples or aniseed for pears.