Caramelised Balsamic Red Onion, Zucchini/Courgette polenta scone bake.

Caramelised, Balsamic Red Onion & Zucchini/Courgette polenta scone bake.

I am still making the most of the abundance of courgettes from my allotment.  This is something a little different. A cross between a bread, scone and savoury cake. It is delicious either served with a pasta dish, cut into small pieces as a canapé or just on it's own with a hunk of cheese. It's moist, savoury, a little sharp & sweet with added balsamic vinegar and in total, it's just the business.

you will need an 9x9" oven tin/pan, oiled and line the base with parchment paper.

The recipe.

4 medium sized red onions, peeled, sliced and sauteed until soft in 2 tbsp good olive oil
2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsps sugar
when the onions are cooked add the sugar & balsamic and cook on a high heat for 2/3 minutes until the vinegar almost disappears, leaving a thick delicious onion 'jam' for the bottom of your tin/pan.

Place the cooked onions into the bottom of your lined baking tin

The polenta/scone mixture.

2 large courgettes, grated, sprinkled with a little salt then left for around 1 hour, squeeze all the excess water out.
4oz /100 g self raising flour
4oz/ 100g polenta
2oz/50g butter or margarine (I used Stork)
2oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
1tsp baking powder
½ tsp cream of tartar
2 large eggs beaten
1½ tsp sea salt
few good grinds of black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme chopped or ¼ tsp dried thyme
a little milk to bind if necessary.

Sift together the flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking powder into a bowl with a few grinds of black pepper
Add the polenta & mix together
Rub the butter/margarine into the flour mix, until the breadcrumb stage
Add the parmesan & thyme & mix
Add the grated & drained courgettes then the beaten eggs mix lightly to bind together into a light, moist cake type batter with a heavy dropping consistency adding a little milk a a tbsp at a time if needed.

Place this mix in spoonfuls on top of the onions and spread it out with a pallette knife  to cover them.

Bake in a pre-heated hot oven 230c/450f/gas 8 for around 10-15 mins until light & golden and firm to the touch.

Leave to cool on a wire rack for around 5 minutes. Turn over onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper. Serve warm & enjoy