Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Herbed polenta with fresh corn

We love polenta, but that stuff in the tubes? Not so much. The texture just feels a little off, and, well, we don't care for prepared foods that sit on a shelf. (Here at Marilu.com, we often call it 'bomb shelter food' – the stuff you'd keep in your basement in the event you'd need to live there for awhile. Yuk.)

So here's a simple recipe for homemade polenta that's a little fancied up with the addition of fresh corn. If you don't have the corn, just leave it out. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of vegan cheese (like shredded Daiya or Follow Your Heart's Vegan Gourmet), or vegan parmesan or even nutritional yeast.

This is a good recipe for using up a leftover ear of corn on the cob.

Serve the polenta with a simple tomato marinara sauce, or a veggie-tomato sauce like ratatouille. With a side salad, it's a delicious meal.

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Herbed Polenta with Fresh Corn

from The Yoga Cookbook: Vegetarian Food for Body and Mind by The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers

Blue * Serves 4-6

1 ear of corn (remove husk and silk)

scant 1-1/2 cups cornmeal (look for polenta-style, or use regular cornmeal or grits)

3-1/3 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 Tablespoons olive oil

your favorite tomato sauce

Cook the corn on the cob in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, until tender. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels; set aside.

Stir the cornmeal into 1 cup of the water to make a batter. In a large, heavy pot, bring the remaining water and salt to a boil. Add the cornmeal batter all at once and stir continuously until the batter is well-blended. Add the chopped rosemary.

Reduce the heat so the batter simmers, and stir constantly for 10-15 minutes, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot. Stir in the cooked corn kernels.

Pour the polenta into a 10-inch pie plate, smooth the top with a metal spatula, and leave it to cool. Once set, cut the polenta into wedges, and fry it in a little olive oil, until slightly crisp. (Or brush it with oil and grill it, broil it, or bake it.) Serve with your favorite tomato marinara sauce or ratatouille.