9 C. water

1 Tsp. Salt

3 C. cornmeal

1 T. oil to fry

 

Bring water to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Add salt.   Slowly stir in corn meal 1 C. at a time. Stir while you add to avoid clumps. Stir continuously for 12-15 min. Polenta will thicken. When it starts to pull away from the pot, turn off the heat and pour it into a greased dish or platter. Let cool 10-15 minutes.  Slice and fry until golden brown.  Variations:  Garlic: You can mince the garlic and add it to the boiling water at the start, or you can roast the garlic (slice off the top, pour on 1 T. of olive oil, put on a pan in the oven at 450 for 30-45 min or until soft), mash it and mix in while the polenta is thickening.  Butter: mix in a few T. of butter when the polenta is thick.  Cooling: instead of a platter or dish, you can use C.cake tins to make little polenta cakes (my favorite), if you have any fun shaped cake pans that would work as well. Toppings: top with marinara sauce, basil or eat plain. Cost:   Whole batch – $0.65 (with 3 clove garlic), makes 24 C.cakes  Per serving – $0.09 ($0.03 per cake: serving size 3 cakes)