Recipe | Smoked Polenta with Roasted Beets + Swiss Chard

SMOKED POLENTA | with beets + swiss chard

serves 6

For the Beets

1lb small beets

1/2 cup - 1 cup water

olive oil for serving

salt and pepper to taste

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Preheat the oven to 400°. 

Wash and dry beets. Cut off and discard greens.

Transfer the vegetables to a deep baking dish or pie plate, in a single layer. Add enough water so that the beets are half covered, but not fully submerged. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminium foil and place in oven. 

Roast beets for 50 minutes to an hour, or until fork tender. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. Remove the skin by rubbing the beets with a paper towel.

Slice the beets in half. Drizzle with good olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

For the Polenta 

2 cups polenta

8 cups chicken stock

1 cup grated smoked gouda

¼ cup unsalted butter

sea salt + pepper

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Bring chicken stock to boil over medium-high heat in large heavy saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. Gradually whisk in polenta and cook for about 20 minutes whisking occasionally, until thick and creamy. Remove from heat. Stir in gouda cheese and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

For the Chard

2 large bunches of swiss chard, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

juice of half a lemon

olive oil

sea salt + pepper

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Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and place over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for just about a minute until soft and fragrant. 

Add the chard and mix to coat with the oil. Turn heat down to a medium low and simmer until slightly wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Uncover and mix, making sure chard is cooked evenly all around. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. 

To serve: serve polenta on a family style platter, top with greens and beets (halved or quartered) 

Recipes | Sunday Suppers with Christina Liva

Photos + Styling | Karen Mordechai