Grilled Summer Vegetable and Mozzarella Polenta Stacks with Honey-Balsamic Dressing

Tomorrow is the first day of school around these parts. I'm not ready to trade in my sweet watermelon for studious apples, but apparently August is the new September. I'm still sucking on summer down to the very last drop in Mother Nature's ice cream cone. And although my children will begin school tomorrow, it's not the butterfly in the stomach kind of first day. I'm a home schooler, so tomorrow will be quite a bit like a regular summer day, except instead of lounging on beach towels, we'll continue with violin and piano, World History and Geography, Spanish and Science, etc. We'll still swim, but on recess, and we'll still play with friends, but after 3:30. And there will be no apple on my desk, but perhaps I will have a wedge of watermelon while I teach about Shakespeare and Rossetti and the ephemeral wonders of youthful summer days.

Here's a recipe designed to celebrate the true nature of August, a still golden summer month.

The Pioneer Woman is hosting a recipe contest featuring healthy dairy products,so here's my entry. She's offering some fun prizes, so enter one yourself!

Money Saving Tips: Hit your farmer's market or backyard garden for summer's bounty. Save money by using a domestic mozzarella on your polenta-no need for the fancy stuff here. If fresh basil is too expensive, you can used about 1 teaspoon of dried, or better yet, try fresh rosemary or sage. You can purchase a prepared roll of polenta if you're short on time, but it will be less than 1/4 the cost to make your own.

Grilled Summer Vegetable and Mozzarella Polenta Stacks

Estimated Cost: $7.00 for four servings

olive oil cooking spray

2 cups low-fat milk

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces on the bias

2 large summer squash, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces on the bias

1 medium egg plant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

4 ounces thinly sliced part skim mozzarella cheese (I used domestic mozzarella)

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Coat an 8 by 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan, bring milk and stock to a boil over medium high heat. Slowly whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often for twenty minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to prepared dish. Refrigerate until cool and set, at least 40 minutes. Preheat grill for medium hot grilling. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Brush a very small amount of balsamic mixture on both sides of cut vegetables(except tomatoes); place on tray. Slice polenta into 8 equal squares. Spray each side with no stick cooking spray. Grill vegetables and polenta over medium high heat. Grill eggplant and polenta for about five minutes per side, and squash for about four minutes per side. During last two minutes of cooking, cover polenta with mozzarella slices to melt. To assemble, drizzle grilled vegetables and tomatoes with all but 1 tablespoon of balsamic mixture. On each of four plates, place one slice of polenta (cheese side up) on each plate. Stack with grilled vegetables and tomato slices and sprinkle with basil. Top with one additional polenta slice, cheese side up. Sprinkle with basil and a tiny bit of remaining dressing. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Coming at the first light of Tuesday:

Tuesdays with Dorie-maybe the best one yet

Strawberry White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream