Polenta Toasts With Goat Cheese And Fresh Thyme Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on 2 heavy large baking sheets. Brush olive oil over the bread slices. Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.
• Blend the goat cheese and cream cheese in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the parsley, thyme, and lemon peel. Using the on/off button, pulse just to blend. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread the cheese mixture over the crostini. Sprinkle with the olives, chives, and more pepper. Arrange the toasts on a platter and serve.
• Do-Ahead Tip: The crostini and cheese mixture can each be prepared 2 days ahead. Store the crostini in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the cheese mixture. Let the cheese mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour to soften slightly before spreading over the crostini.

Steps:

• Lightly oil 2 baking sheets. Combine 6 cups water and salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Gradually add cornmeal, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until polenta is thick and creamy, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spoon warm polenta out onto wet work surface. Roll out polenta with wet rolling pin to 1/3-inch thickness. Cool completely. Using wet 1 3/4- to- 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out polenta rounds. Discard polenta scraps. Transfer rounds to baking sheets.
• Lightly brush polenta with oil. Bake polenta 15 minutes. Turn polenta rounds over. Lightly brush with oil and bake until polenta is slightly puffed and pale golden, about 10 minutes longer.
• Spoon goat cheese into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Transfer polenta rounds to platter. Pipe 1 small rosette in center of each polenta round. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 375°F (190°C). Arrange the toasts on a small rimmed baking sheet. Spread the toast slices evenly with the goat 1 cheese, and sprinkle with the walnuts, dividing them evenly. Drizzle 1/4 tsp of the walnut oil over each toast. Bake until the walnuts are toasted and the cheese is warm, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the toasts to plates and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle each toast with honey, then sprinkle with the thyme leaves and serve.

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the polenta in a steady stream, then decrease the heat to medium. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, more constantly than you would think possible, until the polenta begins to thicken, approximately 10 minutes. (Keep stirring; otherwise the polenta will boil up and may splatter on your hand.)
• Add the cheese and rosemary and stir for approximately 2 minutes. Stir in the butter, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. It keeps well on the stove, though it thickens as it rests. If cooking before the chops are done, which is a smart idea, either remove from the heat at a thinner consistency or add a little more stock later.