Tomato-Sauce Poached Eggs Over Creamy Polenta With Wilted Spinach

We are fortunate here in the South to have innovative farmers who are able to produce food even in the dead of winter*. Nearly every ingredient in this dish was sourced locally. The eggs are from Donnell Century Farms. The spinach, some of the sweetest and best we have ever tasted, came from Dodson Farms, and the grits are from Delta Grind. (How lucky are we?)

I have taken these ingredients and made them into one of my all-time favorite meals: grits and eggs. I do these a million different ways, but this simple version with an Italian twist is the best of all. I poach my eggs in warm tomato sauce for added flavor and ease of preparation. This is the perfect dish for a cold winter's day.

Spinach:

2 large handfuls fresh spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil and garlic in a large frying pan. Once the oil stats to shimmer, remove the pan from the heat and toss the spinach with the hot oil and garlic. Finish with salt and pepper.

Polenta:

4 cups milk

2 Not Chick'n bouillon cubes

1 cup dry polenta (or grits)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Bring milk and bouillon cubes to a slow boil. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, and make sure there are no lumps. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes and stir it every few minutes.

Eggs:

4 eggs

2 cups good-quality tomato sauce

salt & pepper

Bring sauce to a low simmer in a large frying pan. Crack eggs directly into the sauce. Allow eggs to cook for about 10 minutes or until the white has set. To serve, spoon tons of creamy polenta onto the center of the plate; follow with the tomato sauce and then the eggs. Garnish the dish with chopped parsley and freshly-grated parmesan. Serve with a side of wilted spinach.

*BTW, we are so happy that we did the traditional grocery run before all of this snow and ice came down Friday a.m. Even though it looks like we'll be stuck inside until Sunday afternoon or maybe even Monday mid-morning when the temps finally get above freezing, at least we have power and a bunch of stuff like this comforting dish to cook.