The problem: hot turkey sausage (which Harry says shouldn’t even count as “sausage”), red peppers, and hulled corn (Debbie bought a pack of it at Whole Foods for reasons I couldn’t divine).
There were actually some interesting Epicurious recipes for sausage and corn (yes, Harry, even turkey “sausage” and corn), but for whatever reason sausage a polenta, a dish Debbie makes very well, spoke to me.
Don’t tell anyone, but we have used Barbara Kafka’s microwave recipe for polenta for some years. Easy, tastes fine. I’m sure my faithful readers, at least some of them, are calling foul. But we do it anyhow because we love polenta and don’t love excess work.
So, polenta was spoken for. The sauce was c-cook improvisation: I wilted down onions and peppers in olive oil, then added the sausage (which wasn’t going to contribute much to the fat department, else I would have had them first), then garlic for a brief fragrant moment, then deglaze with red wine, then add store-bought tomato sauce.
Not the most adventuresome recipe I’ve ever made (although I gave myself points for improvisation). Unfortunately, it didn’t taste that great to me. Probably cut too many corners. The sauce wasn’t so hot. Some gourmet stuff in a jar, but all the heartburn of tomatoes with none of the mouth feel and finish of a really great tomato sauce. Would have been better to do my own. I made a great Bolognese Sauce once or twice from Marcella Hazan. These things are well within my powers. Oh, well.
Debbie and I both thought what I made was pretty good. But I’ll have to aim for a higher bar next week.
