Vegan Italian!

This lusciousness may not be what most Americans would think of as Italian since Italian usually means pasta over here, but it is actually based upon authentically Italian dishes. This was sooooo good! I would even venture to say the polenta was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. I'm not kidding.

The "Sage Polenta" was from Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Kitchen and was an amazing vehicle for the abundant sage supply in my garden.  Seriously delectable, and the recipe makes a ton. I ate this for three days, and I am so sorry it is all gone now. A funny thing did happen to the appearance of it, however, after an overnight in the fridge. It became gray in color. The flavor remained as luscious as ever. My theory is that my sage was a very blue-green, which mixed with this pretty yellow, brought out the greige in the cornmeal. It worked for me -- after it turned, I no longer felt compelled to share it -- MINE ALL MINE!

The collards are a recipe that is tried and true for me -- Alicia Silverstone's "Sicilian Collard Greens" from The Kind Diet The flavors are unexpected and delicious -- raisins, balsamic vinegar, garlic and pine nuts, and this time, since I was serving a completely vegan meal to the family (a rare event since they grumble) I added cannelini beans to get the protein box checked. Newsflash: they loved the meal!! This was a homerun. I miss this food, and looking at it is making me hungry.