Braised Winter Roots de Campania over Polenta

Spice Profile: basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme

Polenta: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, then sprinkle in 1 cup cornmeal while whisking for 5 minutes. (Optional, add some chopped dates!) Reduce heat & cover stirring occasionally for 30ish minutes. Once cooked stir in 1 TBSP of butter & 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional), salt to taste.

You can serve the Polenta as a porridge, but I prefer to turn the polenta into a greased cast iron pan & let cool for a bit to firm up. Then butter the top, return to the burner on medium heat to toast the bottom a bit, then move to the broiler to toast the top a bit.

Braised Roots: Chop 1 medium onion, 1 large purple-top turnip & 4-ish medium parsnips. In a large Dutch oven, sauté onion in olive oil until tender. Add turnips, parsnips, the full spice packet (2 tsps) Stock+Spice herbes de campania, plus 1/3 cup white wine vinegar & 2/3 cup of water. Stir, cover & let braise over medium-low heat for 40-ish minutes. Once roots are tender (al dente), uncover & raise the heat to cook off most of remaining liquid, add salt to taste.

To serve, plate a small pile of spinach, add a slice of polenta on top, then pile on the roots. Enjoy!