Polenta Pie with Sweet Potato & Carrot Caponata
Modern-day Italians serve cornmeal-based polenta as a simple side or hearty entrée, enriched with cheeses and herbs. Offering yet another take on the classic, our polenta is used to create a soft crust for a winter vegetable pie.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Nutritional Bonus: Just 1 cup of cooked chard contributes 716% of your daily vitamin K needs, while the same amount of cubed sweet potato offers 769% of your day’s vitamin A. Together, the fat-soluble nutrients help your body absorb calcium to maintain healthy bones.
Ingredients
- Olive oil as needed, for greasing pan
Crust
- 1 cup coarse cornmeal or polenta (not de-germinated)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning blend (TIP: To make your own, simply combine 1/2 tsp each dried basil, dried thyme and dried rosemary.)
Filling
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cups Swiss chard, rinsed, tough stems removed, remaining leaves roughly chopped
- 1 cup black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
Caponata
- 3/4 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
Equipment:
- 9-inch springform pan
Preparation
- Rub springform pan with small amount of oil and set aside. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Prepare crust: Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a 2 1/2-qt saucepan. Add cornmeal and salt, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes or until cornmeal is soft and creamy, adding more water if desired or if cornmeal begins to look dry. Remove from heat and stir in dried herbs.
- Prepare filling: In a large skillet on medium heat, sauté onion in oil for 3 minutes or until onion just begins to turn translucent. Gently fold in chard and cook for another 2 minutes, then stir in peas and remove from heat.
- Add half of herbed cornmeal to springform pan, using a spatula to smooth it across the bottom. Spoon chard filling onto cornmeal, then finish with another layer of remaining herbed cornmeal over chard filling. (Don’t worry if crust doesn’t come all the way out to the edges.) Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until top begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare caponata: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Simmer sweet potatoes for 5 minutes, then promptly drain.
- Heat oil in a large skillet on medium for 1 minute. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in maple syrup, vinegar and spices and reduce heat to lowest setting. Cover caponata and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Unlock sides of springform pan and use a flat spatula to serve portions of pie. Accompany each portion with a spoonful of caponata.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1/2 c caponata and 1/4 of polenta pie
- Calories 336
- Carbohydrate Content 67 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 5 g
- Fiber Content 10 g
- Protein Content 8 g
- Saturated Fat Content 0.5 g
- Sodium Content 441 mg
- Sugar Content 17 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0 g