Sundried Tomato Polenta Bites

Step 1

Lightly oil a 13x9-inch baking pan. Bring the first 4 ingredients to simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat; simmer 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the herbs and garlic. Whisk in the cornmeal in a slow steady stream; return to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until the polenta is very thick, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Turn polenta out into prepared pan; spread to ½-inch thick layer- don't worry about making it perfect- just spread it out as even as you can. Let it cool completely. When the polenta is cool, use a 1 to a 1 ½-inch round cutter to cut out 30 polenta rounds (or as many as you can).

Step 2

Place the basil, pistachios and cheese in a mini processor Blend to create a coarse puree. Add olive oil and blend until pesto is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Pour about ⅓ cup olive oil into a large nonstick skillet to coat the bottom; heat over medium-high heat. Saute the polenta rounds until they are lightly browned, about 1 minute on each side; transfer to paper towels to drain.

Step 4

Top each polenta round with a small amount of pesto, a chunk of goat cheese and sundried tomato. Add a few chopped pistachios too, if you'd like. Finish them with a sprinkle of sea salt.  Serve warm or at room temperature.