Cavolo Nero with Polenta

Some of my Cavolo Nero has reached maturity - and hence found its way into the kitchen...

This became part of a meal that made use of several home-grown veggies, namely Cavolo Nero, beans, tomatoes and chillis. In this picture the tomatoes are absent because they were in the form of sauce, which came out of the freezer.

Griddled Pork escalopes, served with Soft Polenta with Cavolo Nero,

and Runner beans in tomato sauce (serves 2).

Ingredients:
2 Pork escalopes, beaten thin
150 g Polenta meal
300 ml water
6 large leaves of Cavolo Nero, central veins removed
1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
25 g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
300 g Runner beans, sliced
200 ml tomato sauce (preferably home-made)

Method:

• Put the onion into a small frying pan with a little oil, and cook very gently until golden brown.
• Put the griddle pan on to heat, aiming to get it really hot while all the other things are being done.
• Boil the Runner beans for a few minutes until tender, drain them, put them back into the pan and add the tomato sauce (mine was a tub of the stuff I made a few weeks ago), heating it over a low flame until warmed through.
• Meanwhile, using the 300 ml water (or more if required to achieve the desired texture) make the polenta according to the manufacturer's instructions (only a total of about five minutes required), add the Parmesan cheese, and stir into it the Cavolo Nero leaves. The soft leaves perform much like spinach - they wilt rapidly and need very little cooking. Stirring them around in the hot polenta for a couple of minutes is all that's required.
• Add the chopped chilli to the polenta and stir well to distribute it evenly. 
• Cook the pork escalopes quickly in the hot griddle pan, taking care not to over-cook them.
• Serve, garnished with the onions.

Wine recommendation: a nice light Italian wine, such as Chianti.

Vegetarian option: replace the pork with an omelette, or a fried egg.

For another variation on the polenta and Cavolo Nero theme, see THIS POST from back in January...


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P.S. I am entering this post for the "Simple and in Season" recipe link-up on  Ren Behan's website. If you haven't discovered this yet I think you should have a look. It's FABULICIOUS!