Cheesy Polenta with Grilled Sausages and Summer Vegetables

Ingredients

• Butter
• 5 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups polenta
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into little cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup 3-Cheese Italian Blend
• Oil, for the grill
• 8 Italian sausages
• 3 medium zucchini, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 3 medium summer squash, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 4 small tomatoes, halved
• Olive oil, for brushing the vegetables
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Rub butter over a shallow 3-quart baking dish. For the polenta, combine the water, polenta, cubed butter and salt right in the dish, stirring to mix. Slide it into the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes.
2. Take the dish out of the oven and mix in half of the cheese. Scatter the rest of the cheese over the top, then return the dish to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes more, until the polenta has thickened into a soft, porridge-like consistency.
3. Switch the oven to broil and cook the top for 1 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is bubbling and browned. While the polenta bakes, get the grill going: if you are using charcoal, fill a grill chimney with charcoal and light it. Once the coals are hot and coated in a fine gray ash, pour them into the grill and bank them on one side so you have a hotter area and a cooler area. Put the grate on, cover the grill, and let it heat for 5 minutes.
4. If you are using a gas grill, set one burner on high and another on low, at 225F.
5. Fold a small piece of paper towel into a 2-inch square, then add a few tablespoons of oil to a shallow bowl. Hold the towel with tongs, dip it in the oil, and run it over the grates. When the grill is hot, start the vegetables and sausages: arrange the sausages on the grill and cook them for 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until browned and cooked through, with 150F as the ideal internal temperature. If they are getting dark before the centers are done, shift them to the cooler side of the grill. Once they hit the desired temperature, move them to a plate and tent them loosely with foil so they stay warm.
6. Brush the zucchini slices, summer squash slices and tomato halves with olive oil, then season them with salt and pepper. Grill the zucchini and summer squash on both sides until they are tender and marked by the grate. Place the tomatoes cut side down and grill until they show grill marks and are heated through, but still holding their shape. Use the cooler side of the grill whenever you need to tame the heat. To serve, spoon polenta onto each plate, then add a sausage, a tomato half and several slices of zucchini and summer squash.