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1
Roast the peppers directly over a gas flame or under the broiler as close to the heat as possible, turning often, until charred all over.
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2
Transfer to a paper bag and let steam for 10 minutes.
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3
Peel off the blackened skins and discard the cores, ribs and seeds.
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4
Finely chop the peppers.
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5
Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a nonreactive saucepan.
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6
Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
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7
Add the roasted peppers, tomatoes, garlic, honey, basil and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
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8
Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
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9
Working in batches, puree the mixture in a blender or food processor.
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10
Preheat the oven to 400.
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11
Arrange the fennel slices in a small baking dish, season with salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned.
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12
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet.
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13
Add the wild mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
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14
Add a little vegetable stock if the mushrooms seem dry.
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15
In a heavy medium saucepan, bring 6 1/2 cups of the vegetable stock to a boil.
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16
Gradually whisk in the cornmeal.
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17
Simmer over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 25 minutes, depending on the coarseness of the cornmeal.
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18
Stir in the milk and cook, stirring frequently, until the cornmeal is creamy, about 10 minutes longer.
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19
Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese and season well with pepper.
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20
Rewarm the red pepper sauce, fennel and mushrooms.
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21
Divide the polenta among 4 plates.
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22
Spoon a little red pepper sauce around the polenta and arrange the fennel and wild mushrooms on top.
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23
Garnish with the scallions and serve the remaining sauce alongside.
