A woman "of a certain age" stopped me as I was unloading groceries to check out last week,   She somewhat apologetically asked me what I was going to do with that round, sausage-looking vacuum-packed yellow stuff called polenta.  "Is that what we used to call corn meal mush?"

I told her I thought it was one and the same.  In the form I was purchasing, it was already cooked and just needed to be reheated.  Sort of the fast-food approach to mixing corn meal and water and frying it until it's somewhat firm, then baking it off.

I had some big plans for my polenta.  I purchased a basil- and garlic-infused version, and thought I would top it with several new and familiar vegetables, such as collard greens and leeks, maybe some red cabbage and a few slivers of mushrooms.  I would sautee the vegetables and bake the whole thing.

But when I got ready to cook, I rooted through the frig and found I had a lot of fresh spinach and some shallots.  So I sauteed those in garlic olive oil and added something else I found, some proscuitto.  A container of half-used ricotta inspired me to a lasagne-like concoction.  I sliced the polenta fairly thinly, added the spinach mix, then spread some creamy ricotta over that, and a fat dollop of red sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan.  Another layer of the polenta, and I baked it for about 20 minutes.

What terrific flavor!   The whole thing was surprisingly light and yet each separate contributor could be identified and enjoyed.  I was pleased with the end result, and realized that it was infinitely adaptable to whatever was available.  My version was a riff on a traditional lasagne, but you could add almost anything between the layers of polenta.  If you used straight polenta, it could be a great vehicle for something like rice or what used to be called Indian pudding (a molasses-based dessert).

Speaking of, the polenta baked in a way that made it seem superior to traditional noodles.  It had more flavor and substance, and was an interesting and different choice.  For a tired palate in late January, it was a warm and unexpected guest at my dinner table.  Note to self:  try different ways of using polenta...it's a great carb choice.  And you can go basic and purchase corn meal and follow the directions to produce your own polenta, too.  It's a great budget choice, too.