Instagram Instadrool

     I am not tooting my own horn when I use the word "Instadrool," however, that's just what the wild, wonderful world of Instagram (a picture app for phones) has presented me with.  Remember a few posts ago when I talked about "Foodie Share Love" and how great it is to share your recipes and pictures with family and friends?  Well, that's what Instagram does.  And, unlike facebook, they have all these interesting ways to edit and play around with light and filters, which is sweet for an photog amateur like myself.  (Another app I recommend for this is called "befunkyphotofx"--which is only for editing, not necessarily for sharing).  Instagram isn't solely for food, obviously, but there are many folks who take to it for their subjects.  Best of all, you can view all the people your friends "follow," which is another avenue for finding fellow foodies.

     This week I adapted a family favorite of mine called "Polenta & Zucchini Sauce with Saltissa" (yes, I'm still attempting to whittle down my supply), which is a summertime specialty of my dad's.  Since living on my own, I've managed to replicate his method, which usually turns out something like this:

You can match these photog skillz!

     And honestly, this version is untouchable.  I've loved it since I was a kid, and I love it still.  But I decided to get a little experimental this week, and came up with what I call "Deconstructed, 'RE'constructed Zucchini Sauce & Saltissa."  Get it?  My last name is Re.  "RE"constructed.  Ohhh, wordplay.

     I began by deciding that rather than cook all elements (zucchini sauce, polenta, saltissa) inside over a hot stove (Ew--3 simultaneous gas burners running in the summertime?  No, thanks.), I wanted to grill every single component.  I began by following a recipe for grilled polenta by Guy Fieri.  Holy moly, once you add those fresh herbs:

Check out those sweet flecks of herbage.

     The polenta had to set in the fridge for an hour.  Once it was ready, I divided the pan in half, and each half into triangles, since they're prettier presentation-wise.  Then I took to grilling all my ingredients:

This is everything I used--minus the mushrooms.  I was disappointed to find that they were all moldy beneath the surface layer.  Bummer, dude.

I put the zucchini on first, followed by the saltissa (which, I should explain, is a secret Italian sausage recipe, known only to the local butcher in my parents' part of the Northwoods), and then onions and garlic.

     After everything finished grilling, I gave it all a few moments to rest and soak in the flava.  I then chopped all the veggie ingredients into one-inch bits, and pulsed them in the food processor--adding olive oil, s&p, herbs, & Parmesan as I went.  I don't own a commercial food processor, so I had to do it in a few batches.

     After all THAT, I grilled my polenta triangles.  They only take about three minutes per side, so everything's ready to be plated afterward.  And speaking of plating, that was another experimental dabble:

     Not the prettiest--but certainly the damn-near tastiest!  The zucchini sauce picked up all those rich flavors of the roasted garlic and charred veggies, which was perfectly paired with the grill flavor from the saltissa and polenta.  Mmmm, mama.  This was "Not My Daddy's Meals," if I were to bastardize what Paula Deen's son has been doing lately on the Cooking Channel.

     Thanks for reading!  And stayed tuned--I've decided to do a "kitchen tip" post weekly.  Buon appetito!