Mea Gulpa Tackles Breakfast Doldrums

I have a long term problem, something I've struggled with since my first bowl of oatmeal as a child: I hate breakfast. Occasionally I can really get behind a french toast or a bowl of raspberries, but most American breakfast fare is sweet or bready, and one can only eat so many eggs before they get discouraged. I'm not really one who says things like: you know what sounds good? An omelette.

But in line for coffee a few weeks ago, I scanned the front page of a New York Times, and saw a blurb about a breakfast pizza with a cornmeal crust, with spinach and gorgonzola on top.

Yum, I thought. I can do that.

It was a perfect chance to try something out, something I discovered when I last made pesto from scratch. The creamy way that crushed pine nuts taste when you dissolve them in olive oil and garlic, before you add the basil.


I added Gorgonzola to this and yum. You could put this on pasta. You could spread it on bread. You could do anything you wanted with it, even what I did, which was layer it on polenta.


I added spinach, and ham, and red onions, but the options are limitless. My only beef is that after a few days in the fridge, the polenta gets a little soggy. So just be sure to eat it all fast.

I finally read the NY Times article after I developed my recipe, only to find out that the two are strikingly similiar. But no matter. Mine has garlic.


Spinach Gorgonzola Breakfast Pizza

Polenta crust
4 cups water
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
2 cups corn grits (or polenta, or coarse ground cornmeal)
1 Tbsp butter

Sauce
5 cloves garlic
2 Tbsps pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil, plus some extra
1/4 pound Gorgonzola

Toppings
2lbs spinach, cooked and drained
extra Gorgonzola
sliced ham, 12 slices
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced

*In a large pot, bring the milk, water, and salt to a boil. Add the corn grits slowly, while stirring, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Add butter. Stir frequently and carefully -- the polenta will bubble and splatter. Use a long spoon. Cook for 30 minutes.

*Spoon the polenta onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Work quickly to avoid unsightly lumps. Spread the mixture out evenly on the sheet. (Once it cools a little, you can use your hands to pat it out, but for the love of god, don't burn yourself.)

*Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to set.

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

*For the sauce: Grind the nuts very finely using a mortar and pestle. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, they are soft enough that you can probably do this with a spoon, although a blender is also an option. Add in the garlic, finely minced, and then the oil and gorgonzola.

*Bake the polenta as is for about 10-15 minutes.

*Brush the top of the polenta with olive oil and then spread the sauce on it. Add more olive oil if necessary. Cover the polenta with the sliced ham, then add the spinach, onions, and extra crumbly Gorgonzola. Parmesan is nice, too.

*Bake another 10 minutes. Serve. Eat. Enjoy.