Wanna know something fun? We’re getting married in 99 days!
We’re in double digits – this thing is really gonna happen!
I mean, I think it’s gonna happen. As soon as I get my dress fitted, buy wedding shoes (I want peep toe flats!), pick out the menu, and buy us some plane tickets home. All of the planning is under control for the most part, but a few of the remaining to-do list items are pretty necessary for us to tie the knot. For example, I think it would be nice if we showed up for our own wedding, don’t you? Unfortunately, cross-country airfares seem to be plotting against us…
But I really have been tackling a lot of the planning recently (and dragging my loving fiance along with me). We’ve had some pretty epic wedding shopping trips. In just one weekend, we spent two hours getting Nate fitted for a suit (his darn runner’s physique sure makes that kind of thing difficult!) and 90 minutes in the stationery store ordering invitations. I won’t go into details, but those are not the most exciting parts of the planning process. I have to say that Nate looked really handsome in the suit he picked, though. It is definitely the best-fitting suit I’ve ever seen him in, and it made the whole thing seem very real!
It’s not taboo to see the groom in his suit, is it?! I mean, we’re going to do a first look before the ceremony, so it’s not that I’m superstitious or anything. But you better believe he will not be seeing my dress before the big day! Even if I’ve accidentally slipped and basically told him everything about it… oops.
But enough about wedding planning. We have 98 more days to talk about that! In the meantime, let’s make sure to mix in some tomatoes just for good measure.
But not just any tomatoes. Rosemary blistered cherry tomatoes. And on top of blue cheese polenta, no less! It is almost too much deliciousness to fit into one bowl.
It’s finally the time of year when you can look forward to tomatoes instead of avoiding them. I’ve only been waiting all fall, winter, and spring! Cherry tomatoes are my favorite because they’re so sweet to begin with, and roasting takes things a step further. They’re like candy!
Come to think of it, I think I’d take cherry tomatoes over most candy. Excluding anything dark chocolate, of course… that is just silly. For once I can’t be distracted by chocolate, though. This polenta is good enough to quite distracting enough on its own.
If you’ve never had polenta, this is the time to try it. That creamy, comforting goodness is just made to be topped with tangy blue cheese and sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes. The whole thing is just bursting with flavor! I still have a tiny bit in my fridge, and I’m considering taking a few bites of it right now, despite the fact that we had sushi for dinner. Probably not a good idea, right? Blue cheese sushi doesn’t sound that appetizing. And yet… well, someone just come over and stop me.
I highly recommend this polenta for the next time you have dinner guests. It’s relatively hands-off, extremely satisfying, and will taste like you slaved over a hot stove all day. When really, you just spent the whole day pinning peep toe wedding shoes :)
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup polenta meal
- 20 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- sprinkle of salt and pepper
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled or chopped
- Bring water to a boil in a 3 to 4 quart pot. Add salt and polenta. Reduce heat to low and whisk for several minutes, until the polenta no longer sinks to the bottom when you stop whisking. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Every 10 minutes, stir vigorously, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425. On a baking sheet, toss tomatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until tomatoes begin to blister and pop. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
- After polenta has simmer for 40 minutes, remove from heat and stir in half of the blue cheese. To serve, scoop into bowls and top with blistered tomatoes and remaining blue cheese. Enjoy!
Only 99 days?! How exciting is that!! I’ve never cooked polenta before but I’m obsessed with those blistered tomatoes!
EEK!! So exciting!! I bet these next few months are going to fly right by! All I can say is, I can’t wait to see the pictures, including the peep toes!
It’s been fooooreves since I’ve had polenta and right now, everything about this dish is calling to me! Blistered tomatoes? UGH!
WOW… THAT is DEVINE. Love so much polenta. My mom used to make it for me when I was a kid. It brings me good memories from my childhood. Thanks for sharing ;-)
I meant DIVINE ;-)
Wow, this looks great. My Italian family loves polenta so I may have to make this next time I visit.
It’s getting so close!! And I love the idea of peep toe flats – I can’t wait to see photos! Forget about food… how about you just post all things wedding for the next few months. I don’t think many of us would complain… we might go hungry, but we won’t complain ;)
I can see how these flavors would complement each other. Still, I can’t envision the taste. I guess I’ll have to try it!
just made this. Added some slivered basil because our herb garden is over running and I just love basil and tomato. So good!!!!! I haven’t made polenta in awhile, it’s a favorite though.
You’re killing me! Blue cheese POLENTA? I need to make this ASAP.
I saw my husband in his suit three times before the wedding day…and everything has turned out just fine so far, ha ha. We had to drive to Boise (a 2.5-hour trip) about eight times in the planning process, so I understand your pain re: boring wedding stuff. Here’s hoping you find the shoes! That was the hardest part for me :)