Polenta Cakes

• 1 cup stone ground polenta
• 3/4 cup onion, diced
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese. grated
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil

Preheat oven to 350º F. In a medium pan, sauté onion in butter until translucent. Add polenta, mix well. Add stock and bring to a boil. Mix with spatula, cover, and bake in oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and add cheeses and salt. Pour into a small sheet pan about 3/4 of an inch thick. Place in refrigerator overnight. Cut into small squares. Roll in flour. Heat peanut oil in frying pan, place cakes in hot oil until golden brown.

Mushrooms   

• 2 tbsp. peanut oil
• 1 cup white mushrooms
• 1 cup shitake mushrooms
• Salt and pepper to taste

In sauté pan, sauté mushrooms in peanut oil and drain. Set aside for sauce.

Pork Tenderloin

• 2 pork tenderloins (cleaned and cut in half)
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon each fresh Herbs: thyme, parsley, chives, rosemary

Preheat oven to 350º F. Mix all fresh herbs together in small bowl. Place peanut oil in ovenproof sauté pan, heat. Salt and pepper all sides of pork. Sear on all sides until golden brown. Finish cooking in oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and place on large platter to rest. Drain off fat. Use this pan with drippings for sauce.

Port Wine Reduction

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon thyme, fresh, chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoon flour
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3/4 cup port wine

In the sauté pan pork was cooked in, add 1 tbsp. butter, melt and cook onions until translucent. Add flour and cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the wines and bring to a boil. Flambé! The reason to flambé is to remove bitterness from wine. Add thyme and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Whisk in remaining tbsp. butter. Cooked mushrooms can be added at this point. With a pastry brush, coat pork with mustard and then roll in herbs, cover entire pork. Slice on diagonal into 4 pieces.

In a large heated, square plate: place polenta cake in center of plate, top with four pieces of pork tenderloin. Top with sauce.

Yield: 4 servings