Sometimes I just want to post my photos and my recipe and be done with my entry. After all, those are my favorite parts to create.  But, I feel like I need to write something down to connect with whoever shows up.Not writing anything would sort of be like if you came over to my house and I answered the door, let you in, and we both sat down in complete silence.  You might notice my coat rack hanging from the back of a living room closet door.  You’d probably wonder how many people lived here because there are at least fifteen coats and jackets stacked up over only six actual hooks.  But, we would sit there staring with no exchange of words, listening to the hum of the refrigerator.  Every once in awhile you may hear automatically formed ice drop into the freezer ice bin.  Then, the mechanical tray would not so quietly fill up with another ration of water. Kind of boring, huh? Even if you don’t actually read the words written in this post it’s comforting to see them here.  They separate the photos and make you subconsciously know there might be another human involved.   It’s kind of like when you are with a person you don’t really care about talking with but you strike up conversation to relieve the discomfort of being alone with someone (someone you don’t know very well) in silence.The snippets between these photos are that small talk to fill the silent void and make you feel more comfortable.
I don’t always feel this way.  But brilliance is often stifled by monotony. Besides, I think this particular salad speaks for itself.  I actually ate part of it as leftovers! When you save green salad to eat as leftovers it really means something.  Think about it.  When was the last time you were at an Olive Garden and asked your server if they could please box up the rest of your droopy iceberg lettuce dripping with Italian dressing and scattered with pepperoncini stems?

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Burst Tomato and Spinach Salad with Polenta Croutons and Feta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

• salad:
• 5 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes
• 9 oz. plain polenta precooked-from a tube cut into ½ inch cubes
• 5 oz. fresh baby spinach
• 1 oz. crumbled feta
• cooking spray
• salt & pepper
• dressing:
• 1 tsp. Sierra Nevada Stout Stone Ground mustard
• ½ tsp. minced garlic fresh
• salt & pepper one pinch each
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil

Instructions

1. Coat a medium sauté pan with cooking spray. Heat it to medium-high heat.
2. Add the polenta cubes and brown on two sides. (It takes about 3 to 5 minutes per side to brown.)
3. While the polenta is browning sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the browned polenta to a plate and set it aside.
5. Toss the tomatoes into the same pan over medium-high heat.
6. Cook the tomatoes (tossing frequently in the pan) until they are burst open and scorched in spots (about 5 minutes).
7. Remove the pan from the heat and add the polenta to it to keep it warm while you dress the salad.
8. For the dressing:
9. Add all dressing ingredients to a small jar with a tight fitting lid or the jar of a small blender.
10. Shake or blend it until it’s completely emulsified.
11. In a large mixing bowl toss the spinach with the dressing until all of the spinach is coated.
12. Divide the spinach between 2 or 4 serving plates.
13. Top each plate of dressed spinach with equal amounts of tomatoes, polenta cubes, and feta.
14. EAT!!!
15. Note: This dressing recipe makes enough to dress this salad only. If you use a large blender it may be tough to get all the dressing out of it because there is so little of it. As it was, I used a magic bullet and I had to scrape the dressing out if the jar and off the base to get enough. But, it seemed like just the right amount.

You never did.