Polenta "Caprese"

Caprese salad is made with some combination of fresh (uncooked) mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes. J made his own take on it using cooked and fresh ingredients and polenta to replace the mozzarella. It was incredibly delicious. The polenta was nice and crispy and the juice of the tomato softened it slightly. We used our own basil plants to top it off. Try it out and let us know what you think!

Polenta "Caprese"

Polenta, prepared in advance - J made a creamy polenta and veggie saute the previous night. We put the left overs into an 8 x 8" glass dish, spread it out smoothly, covered with plastic, and put it in the fridge. The next day, the polenta was nice and firm. We used a cookie cutter to cut it into circles and then sliced those circles in half (not through the top - through the side, still maintaining the circle shape). We had about 10 circles.
Roma Tomatoes - sliced into circles - one per polenta ring
Fresh basil
2 Tbsp Earth Balance
Olive oil

In a skillet, melt the Earth Balance. Fry each ring of polenta, allowing it to get a little darkened (we actually like a little char) and crispy.

In another skillet, add a little olive oil and heat the skillet. Fry each ring of tomato.

Plate: Alternate polenta and tomato slices, fanned out across the plate. Top with fresh basil leaves.