Blue Cheese Polenta Cakes with Balsamic Fig Compote

Posted by Olivia on Wed, October 13, 2010

Lately at The Olive Press, we've been busy putting together the current delivery of goods to go out to members of The Press Club. If you aren’t aware of this exclusive membership, you’ve got to check it out. For no more than 45 dollars (plus shipping charges) you’ll get a special shipment of 2 bottles of our award-winning olive oils (and occasionally a vinegar) every 3 months—and you’ll also get a 15% discount on our merchandise. It’s the best way to get the latest, freshest products straight from our Press.

We've been hard at work bottling our newest addition to the collection—a fig balsamic vinegar! Words cannot describe how luscious this balsamic vinegar is. It’s bursting with deep flavors of dark berry, ripe figs, and port. It’s part of the current shipment going out to our Press Club members, so if you haven’t signed up yet, do so here.

We can’t imagine you’ll have a difficult time figuring out how to use our fig balsamic vinegar (it tastes great on everything, really, everything), but in case you need a little boost, try out this seasonal recipe: blue cheese polenta cakes with a balsamic fig compote. Be warned—this dish is so succulent, so savory, that you should not make it unless there are others in the house…you just might eat it all yourself!

Ingredients

• Polenta

• 4 cups water

• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 cup polenta

• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, plus extra for serving

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, plus extra for serving

• Compote

• 1 tablespoon Master Blend Olive Oil

• 1 cup diced onions

• ¾ cup beef or vegetable broth

• 1/3 cup Fig Balsamic Vinegar

• 1 ½ cups chopped fresh figs

• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. Prepare the polenta: Combine water, butter, and salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add polenta, about one-quarter cup at a time, whisking constantly. Wait for each addition of polenta to break down into water before adding more, lowering heat to a gentle simmer to prevent burning.
2. When all polenta has been added, about 10 minutes total, continue to cook, whisking, until polenta is thick, cohesive, and pulls apart from the sides of the pot, about 5 additional minutes. Remove from heat; add cheese and rosemary and stir well. Pour into a lightly greased 9-inch baking dish; chill until set, about 20 minutes.
3. While polenta chills, prepare the compote: heat oil in a small skillet over medium. Add onions and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. To assemble: Invert prepared polenta onto a flat surface. Using cookie cutters or a cup, cut out circles of polenta; arrange on serving platter. Place a small dab of blue cheese on each polenta cake, and spoon compote sauce over the top. Garnish with rosemary leaves and serve.

Makes 4 servings.