Feast of Fields—Crispy Polenta with Fresh Corn and Aged Cheddar

It's harvest time, and for the fifth year in a row you can spend an afternoon feasting on the talents of organic farmers and chefs at Feast of Fields in Ottawa. Chefs are paired with area farmers to showcase this season's harvest.

When: Sunday, September 13, 2009, Noon to 4:00 p.m. (food served Noon to 2:00)
Where: Vincent Massey Park (near Riverside Drive and Heron Road)
Tickets: Available online and at listed retail outlets

I attended a pre-event to sample food made by the winners of the farmer/chef pairing from last year as well as preview food we can look forward to tasting at the event itself. We sampled a spicy orca bean quesadilla prepared by resident chef Candice Butler from Urban Element who is paired with Greta's Organic Farm this year. Greta owns an organic seed company that grows plants simply for their seeds with an eye for a plant's uniqueness in taste, appearance, color and shape. These seeds are the bread and butter of Greta's farm. In fact, when Carley visited to collect the ingredients for her dish, Greta removed the seeds from the peppers first!

Jennifer Heagle and Jo-Ann Laverty from The Red Apron, winners from last year's event, prepared a mild, tasty lamb from Aartje den Boer's farm called The Pickle Patch along with a vegetable medley of heirloom tomatoes, garlic and white beans. The organic crispy corn polenta with aged cheddar served on the side was particularly tasty and happily the chefs shared the recipe.

I'm looking forward to attending this event next week and sampling more dishes from all the creative chefs who are paired with the hard-working organic farmers in the area. Until then, I'll be enjoying this comforting cheesy corn polenta.

Recipe for Crispy Polenta with Fresh Corn and Aged Cheddar

from The Red Apron

Makes 1 9x9 pan

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh corn niblets from 1 cob of corn
2 tablespoons white wine, for deglazing
1¼ cup yellow cornmeal
1½ cups old cheddar, grated
¼ cup fresh thyme and rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper.

In a pot, bring stock and cream to a simmer and set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft but not colored. Add garlic and corn niblets and sauté until corn is tender, about 3 minutes. Deglaze with white wine.

Add the stock and cream mixture to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.

In a slow, steady stream, add the cornmeal and cook over medium heat for 1 minute, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

Remove from heat and stir in the grated cheddar and fresh herbs. Season with salt, to taste.

Pour mixture into pan. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Turn out the polenta and cut into desired shapes.

Pan fry the pieces in olive oil and a little butter until lightly browned on both sides or broil in the oven until browned.

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