Capsicum. The new word of the day. It’s simply another way of saying pepper!

This recipe was inspired by “things to try”, “things to do” and “leftovers” to use up. Don’t let the leftovers in this recipe get in the way of having you try it from scratch. It turned out to be a delicious summer appetizer, enjoyed with a Hatzimihalis Cabernet Sauvingon.

I have cornmeal in my pantry and I was reading yet another recipe using grilled polenta. Polenta is made from boiled cornmeal and it’s American cousin is Grits. I was bored on this third day of a long weekend and I was left looking through a few recipes I had cut out to further peruse. Finally, I had some leftover roasted peppers and they had to be mopped up, today.

Grilled Polenta With Roasted Capsicum Salad

Polenta
4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp chopped chives
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Roasted Capsicum Salad
1 green, yellow, red bell pepper – charred, peeled, seeded and sliced
1/4 extra-virgin olive oil
1 tomato, diced
3 tsp chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt cracked black pepper
5 black sun-dried olives, pitted & chopped

1. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a pot. Whisk in cornmeal and return to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, until the polenta mounds firmly on spoon as in very thick.
2. Stir in parsley, cheese, chives and garlic. Spread the polenta into a greased square baking pan and let cool. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours before grilling.
3. Mix all the ingredients listed for the roasted pepper salad and refrigerate or reserve.
4. Cut cold polenta into squares and brush with some olive oil. Place on the grill over medium-high heat and grill for 5 minutes a side. Place on serving plates.
5. Spoon a large pile of roasted pepper salad onto each polenta square and serve warm.