Polenta cakes with spaghetti squash and veggie stew

This was quite the gourmet meal, it looked pretty, tasted good and was very satisfying on a chilly fall evening. All of the ingredients except the polenta  and chick peas are from Fair Foods.

Polenta Cakes with Spaghetti Squash and Veggie Stew

1 Spaghetti squash
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic diced
1 banana pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 stalkes of cellery, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 can chick peas
1 24 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme leaves
salt and pepper
1 Polenta log
breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the whole spaghetti squash in the oven and bake until the squash is soft to the touch and can be easily pierced with a knife. (about 45 - 60 min) Set aside.
2. In a large stock pot heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil add onion and cook until opaque. Add the celery, peppers, garlic, zucchini, squash and eggplant. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute until veggies are softened. Add wine and stir for 1 min, then add tomatoes, chick peas and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce burner to low and simmer for 20 min.
3. While the stew cooks unwrap the polenta and slice it into 1 inch rounds. Gently press each cake into breadcrumbs to coat on all sides. In a heavy bottomed skillet melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. add polenta cakes and brown until they have a nice crust then turn and brown the other side.
4. Halve the spaghetti squash. Scoop out the seeds, then using a fork remove the flesh. Serve each polenta cake with a cup of spaghetti squash beside it and veggie stew on top.

This recipe is awesome and as we speak my kitchen smells amazing!!! Delicious on toast but also pears excellently with goat cheese. Enjoy!!

Vanilla Pear Jam

Found at Food In Jars

makes 3.5 pints (fills seven half pint jars)

8 cups chopped Bartlett pears (or any smooth, thin-skinned pear. No need to peel.)
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
4 cups sugar
1 packet liquid pectin(I used a powdered)

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine chopped pears, sugar and vanilla beans and vanilla seeds.
2. Cook over medium heat until the fruit can easily be smashed with the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to break the fruit down into a mostly-smooth sauce (remove the vanilla bean solids before blending).
4. Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil. Let boil for a full five minutes in order to active the pectin,
5. Fill jars, wipe rims to remove any residual jam, apply lids (heat canning lids in a small pot over very low heat while you’re preparing the jam to ensure a good seal) and screw on the rims.
6. Process the filled jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (start the timer when the pot has returned to a boil).
7. Remove jars from pot and place the jars on a towel-lined counter top. Let them cool undisturbed for  two hours. During this time, the lids should seal.
8. Check to ensure the jars have sealed by pushing down on the center of the lid. If it feels solid and doesn’t move, it is sealed.

Just an amendment...Dana and I only used half of the sugar and we mashed the pears (kind of) with a potato masher because we think that chunky jam that tastes more like pears is better. Other than that we followed the recipe.