Traditional cornmeal polenta — which can be heavy, laced with tons of cream and butter — might bring to mind cold-weather comfort food. But during late summer, when Pennsylvania corn is coming into its peak season, try making a lighter, sprightlier version of polenta with this recipe from PA Veggies! Essentially pureed sweet corn kernels with just a touch of butter and salt, this polenta is like sunshine in a bowl, and a garlicky blend of shrimp and cherry tomatoes makes the perfect topping to turn this delicious dish into a meal.
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Fresh PA Corn Polenta with Shrimp and Tomatoes
| Yield |
|---|
| Serves 4-6 |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10 min | 20 min | 30 min |
Polenta
Ingredients
- 8 medium ears sweet corn, shucked
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Method
- Cut kernels off corn cobs and add to a low, wide pan with high sides. Hold each cob over pan and carefully drag back of knife along all sides, letting corn milk fall into pan.
- Add water to pot, just covering kernels. Stir in salt, and cover pan. Bring to gentle boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Drain corn and add to bowl of food processor. Pulse until corn is almost smooth, but a bit of texture remains. Return corn to pot with butter and black pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat, until butter melts and mixture is well-combined.
Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Crushed red pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil, for serving
Method
- To make shrimp, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering, add shrimp in one layer. Cook for 2 minutes, until starting to turn pink. Flip shrimp and add tomatoes, shallot, garlic and lemon juice. Continue to cook until tomatoes are soft and shrimp is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed red pepper, to taste.
- Divide polenta among serving bowls and top with shrimp and tomatoes. Garnish with fresh basil.
- Recipe & feature photo: Dish Works for PA Veggies
