Polenta with Spinach and Roasted Tomates

Polenta

Sacha came home to take his driving test. He was nervous, the French driving test is not easy to pass, most have to retake it. The driving test has nothing to do with the driving test in the USA. Roughly the driving test in France cost over a thousand dollars… and if you don't pass, well add on a few hundred more, each time.

When I see drivers in France I often wonder, HOW did they ever pass their driving license?

As he was coming home around lunch time, I made polenta with spinach and roasted tomatoes, to fill the every growing and hungry man/boy.

 

Polenta

Recipe:

Polenta,

Milk,

Water,

Vegetable bouillon,

Salt to taste.

In a pan add the milk, water, and vegetable bouillon. When it starts to boil add the polenta and salt in a steady stream, stir constantly until thicken (a few minutes.)

Roasted Tomatoes:

Six tomatoes cut in half,

Thyme,

Ten olives,

Chopped garlic,

salt,

olive oil,

Place the six tomatoes (12 halves) cut side up on a baking sheet. On each tomato sprinkle to your liking the thyme, chopped garlic, salt, olive oil, put the olives near they tomatoes and bake in low heated oven for an hour or so.

Mix it together:

with

Spinach

olive oil 

and 

Thinly sliced mozzarella

In an oiled baking dish put the fresh spinach leaves on the bottom about an inch thick, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, then cover them with a third of the polenta mixture, next add the mozzarella and on top of that the roasted garlic tomatoes with the olives. Repeat the process and on top add just the mozzarella.

Bake 300 for fifteen minutes or until the mozzarella is bubbling.

(Another good Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes can be found here.)

 

Polenta

We won't know if Sacha passed his driving test or not. He thought he did well, though his instructor (not the examiner) thought he drove to cautiously. Oh God seriously, as if that is a fault?

At least I know I filled his stomach, and he left back to school with a bag full of love in the name of food. 

What was one of your staple foods when you were in school?

Sacha comes home craving vegetables and salad. He knows how to get into my heart with a desire like that.

 

Notes:

The European Driving Licence

Driving in France.

Americans driving in France

What does it take to have your French Licence.

 



Comments

18 responses to “Polenta with Spinach and Roasted Tomates”

  1. My daughter was home from university this past week-end and she craved Brazilian rice and beans and homemade apple pie. I sent her back with a pie and the beans. Sometimes she wants chocolate chip cookie bar.

  2. Oh yes — the driving test in the UK is very hard, too. I’m sure his momma’s cooking made the stress of the driving test dissipate.

  3. Oh, those multi lane roundabouts…no time to pause or think. Just hold your breath and go. And you, dear sweet Corey…did it effortlessly…while talking a mile a minute of course!
    A staple while in school? Homemade meat loaf, with mashed potatoes and canned peas 🙂

  4. “What was one of your staple foods when you were in school?”
    Pizza, what else?

  5. Franca Bollo

    Top Ramen and popcorn!

  6. Yum, I wanna bite.

  7. good luck, Sacha! I flunked my first driving test. Knocked over a pole on the parallel parking thing.
    My comfort food: tator tot hotdish – toally midwestern with tator tots, cream of mushroom soup, French cut greenbeans and lots of cheese. Mom made it with ground beef, but I use the soy crumbles today when I splurge on a hotdish for myself.

  8. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    Amy, I love how midwestern your comfort food sounds, with you calling the casserole “hotdish”. (Must admit I’ve only heard the term on Prairie Home Companion…) Nonetheless it sounds like delicious variations on my childhood hot comfort foods too.

  9. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    The only thing I recall eating in college was eggplant parmesan — my roommates and I would prepare it when we had friends over for dinner. It was cheap and relatively easy and hot and cheesy. What’s not to like?
    Comfort food from my mother would include macaroni and cheese (using Velveeta cause it melts so wonderfully and it was the 50’s and 60’s). Also thick simple potato soup for when I was sick.

  10. My dad took me for my driving test and made me drive to the place, over an incredibly narrow bridge (Burlington-Bristol Bridge from N.J. to Pa.) I was so nervous, but passed the first time.
    Spaghetti and meatballs was a staple at home, extremely good too, and I’m making a big pot of it today!

  11. I agree with Jenna – YUM!

  12. Barbara Snow

    Mash potatoes, mac-n-cheese, and chicken noodle soup with dumplings.

  13. I read all the links relating to the French driving license just to gloat. Through a lucky twist of fate, I managed to escape the French driving test, because although I had a California driver’s license (which does not enjoy reciprocity with France), California had not notified Connecticut, my previous state of residence (which does), that I had moved. I therefore retained my Connecticut license and slipped through the system.

  14. Once when my son, Sean, was in college, I traveled to southern California to see one of his swim meets. Didn’t see him before the meet, but when he saw me in the stands he came up to sit with me brieffly and I gave him a big plate of his favorite oatmeal cookies. He opened the package, area cookie, and turned to the woman sitting on his other side – someone he’d never met before – and said to her, “She really loves me!” Truly the way to his heart is through his stomach – at least on that day.

  15. Campbell’s tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. I didn’t have a hot plate to “grill” the sandwich, so improvised with the coffee pot’s warming plate.

  16. Never sure what to do with polenta …..this sounds good I shall give it a try!….I have been following you on my mobile…. but computer problems all sorted so now I can enjoy on a large screen….so much better….thankyou for the effort that you continually put into your weblog, very enjoyable and mouth watering to read !!!

  17. I hope Sacha passed with flying colors.

  18. Yummoooo. That looks delicious.
    Now that it is cooler, I enjoy cooking
    more. Who wants to cook in 100+F heat???

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