Polenta Cheese Croutons with Green Salad

Polenta Cheese Croutons with Green Salad are our springtime answer to Caesar salad. Light vegetable salad and fragrant croutons for a bright, cheerful morning.

Ingredients

• 1 cup polenta grits
• 50 g grated cheese
• 4 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 0.5 tsp dry mixture of italian herbs
• coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 4 stalks of green asparagus
• 1 sweet juicy carrot
• 1 young squash
• 4 radishes
• 4-5 sprigs of mint
• 4-5 sprigs of dill
• juice of half a lemon
• extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Prepare polenta following package directions. Stir in grated cheese, salt and pepper.
2. Grease a 20x30 cm baking sheet with oil, cover with foil, which also grease with oil. Spread the warm polenta evenly on a prepared baking sheet, cool and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour. All this can be done in the evening or use the polenta left over from dinner.
3. Turn the baking sheet with polenta onto a board, remove the foil, cut the polenta into cubes. Heat 2 tablespoons in a skillet. l. butter and sauté the polenta sticks on all sides until crisp, then pat dry with paper towels to remove excess oil. Toast the remaining polenta as well. Sprinkle the sticks with coarse salt and herbal mixture.
4. Step 4
5. For the salad, use a vegetable peeler to cut the asparagus, zucchini, carrots lengthwise into thin, almost transparent slices. Cut the radish into thin slices.
6. Place vegetables in cold ice water for 5-7 minutes. Finely chop the mint leaves and dill. Place the chopped greens in a deep bowl and season with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and stir.
7. Throw the vegetables in a colander, let the water drain. Dry the vegetables. Transfer to a bowl of herbs, toss and serve with polenta croutons.