Polenta Pie and Danish Cherries

Last night I made Polenta Pie and Danish Cherries at Weave's new apartment. I was a little weary of making polenta from scratch, but it turned out to be easy and tasted amazing! The pie was similar to a deep dish pizza minus the red sauce and with a thick, cornmeal crust. We used about twice as much cheese as the recipe called for, because, well, I love cheese and Charlie is an excellent grater.Each piece had a thick cornmeal base, a layer of mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato slices, sautéed veggies (mushroom, bell pepper, zucchini, onion, garlic) and herbs, and another layer of mozzarella cheese on top. We broiled the pie for the last five minutes to give it a crisp, golden brown top. The slices came out easily (I am notorious for ruining the first piece out of the pan) and tasted divine! The polenta was creamy and rich and you could really taste the oregano in the veggies.

For dessert, I made Danish Cherries. I used frozen, pitted, unsweetened cherries. We warmed them on the stove and let them thicken. Then we stirred in lemon zest, lemon juice, and almond extract. Served warm over vanilla ice cream with an episode of Sex and the City. A perfect Tuesday night!