1
["Bring to a boil several cups of water in the bottom piece of a double boiler. Put all of the polenta ingredients, except the cheese and nutmeg, in the top half of the double boiler and stir gently.", "Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring gently every few minutes. (Check to make sure the bottom pan doesn't go dry during that period. Add more water if necessary. It shouldn't be, but you never know.) After 30 minutes, the polenta should be somewhat thick, but not stiff.", "Stir in the cheese, turn off the heat, then cover the polenta, leaving it in the double boiler, over the hot water. Let it sit for at least 45 minutes.", "Put the polenta in a generously buttered 8"" square baking dish. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.", "Heat oven to 375 degrees.", "Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Brush it on the polenta. Score, then cut the polenta into 6 rectangles or 12 triangles, as you like.", "While the polenta is roasting, peel , core and slice the apples. Saute them in the remaining butter over medium heat, until slightly tender, about 5 or 6 minutes. (They should still be a bit firm.)", "Sprinkle on the nutmeg and toss gently.", "Serve roasted polenta with a healthy dollop of ricotta, topped with the apples, and then drizzle maple syrup over, to taste. Bacon on the side seals the deal.", "I do hope you enjoy this. Yours affectionately, AntoniaJames ;o)", "N.B. When making the ricotta for this, I add two fresh bay leaves at the same time that I put all of the ingredients for the ricotta into the pot. I tear them gently 3 or 4 times to release more of their flavor, as they infuse the milk. Remove them when separating the curds from the whey. ;o)", "Here is a link to the only ricotta recipe you'll ever need: http://www.food52.com/recipes/11403_creamy_homemade_ricotta Jennifer Perillo's recipe for ""Jennie's Homemade Manicotti"" is also to-die-for, incidentally. ;o)"]
