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From the food editor: Trick yourself into thinking fall is on the way with this Pumpkin Parmesan Polenta

 
Pumpkin Parmesan Polenta, served with seared pork. Photo by Michelle Stark, Times food editor.
Pumpkin Parmesan Polenta, served with seared pork. Photo by Michelle Stark, Times food editor.
Published July 28, 2017

Two cookbooks appeared on my desk this week: Tasting Cider and The Pumpkin Cookbook: 139 Recipes Celebrating the Versatility of Pumpkin and Other Winter Squash.

Is it fall yet?

The second half of the year always sneaks up on me. One second it's May and the next it's October, and time to start planning the Thanksgiving menu. August tends to be the turning point. Kids go back to school. Craft stores begin to trot out stuffed scarecrows. Retailers seem to think it's time for us all to start buying sweaters.

Well, you won't sneak up on me this year, seasons.

Inspired by the aggressive fall-ness of those two cookbooks, I'm going to start embracing some less summery flavors now, in the hopes that I can slowly but surely welcome in a more pleasant time of year.

Most foods can be found in grocery stores year-round, so we need not wait until October to start cooking with pumpkin. Many of the recipes in The Pumpkin Cookbook call for freshly roasting a pumpkin or other squash, but you can substitute canned pumpkin for this polenta and many other dishes with not that much difference in flavor.

Other options:

If you can find whole pumpkin or butternut squash now, go ahead and roast it then use the innards in this recipe and more. To roast, cut the squash lengthwise down the middle, then scoop out the seeds and place on an oiled baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, then bake in a 400-degree oven for about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, then scoop out flesh, mash roughly with a fork and use.

Look for frozen cubed butternut squash in the freezer aisle. Remove from package and place in a mesh strainer (to help strain any excess moisture). Allow squash to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to defrost. Mash with a fork and use.

This polenta recipe works any time of year as a staple side dish. An alternative to starches like rice or potatoes, polenta is cornmeal boiled with water or broth to become a creamy companion to many proteins or as the base for a veggie-centric dish. The pumpkin in this recipe lends the polenta a bit more creaminess and a slight nuttiness.

Some ideas for how to serve it

• Roast a melange of vegetables drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper in a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Think red pepper, yellow squash or zucchini, thick-cut carrots and red onion. Serve atop a big scoop of polenta.

• Cook a boneless pork chop in a skillet set over medium-high heat, about 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove pork chop and let rest on a plate. Add a drizzle of maple syrup, a pad of butter and a splash of water to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook until saucey, scraping up any loose bits in the pan. Pour over pork chop and serve with a side of polenta.

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• Place 1 pound of whatever ground meat you want in a bowl along with ½ cup bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1 minced garlic clove and salt and pepper to taste. Mix to combine, then form into meatballs. Cook in a skillet coated in olive oil and set over medium heat, browning meatballs on all sides until cooked through. Serve over polenta.