Venetian Polenta with Swiss Chard

Somehow I have never been tempted with restaurants right across the street from our apartment in the past.  I don't have a solid reason but some hypothesis which I would rather not explain here:) Somehow, one fine Sunday night, with no desire to cook at home and company of my lazy legs, we found our way to have dinner at Spiritland Bistro which is right across the street from our apartment. It is a cute little, fine-dine restaurant with European style ambiance.  Their menu has large number of vegetarian options from many cuisines around the world (something that I have always dreamt of).  Food was delicious so much so that we ended up eating here again in less than a week with some friends!  Both the times, we tried their tasty appetizer - Venetian Polenta Cake.  Here is a reasonable attempt to replicate this dish in our own kitchen!

Ingredients:
Polenta
3/4 cup polenta
2 and 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp dried italian herbs
1 tbsp grated cheese (eg. Fontina or Parmesan)
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 tbsp olive oil

Toppings
~ 3-4 tbsp blue cheese
- 8-10 leaves of swiss chard
- 2-3 garlic
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
-1/4 tsp salt (or to taste, chard and blue cheese are pretty salty)
balsamic reduction (to taste)

- Heat water in a non-stick pan over medium flame. Add oil, salt, herbs. Once water starts boiling, add polenta and mix continuously until all the water evaporates and everything becomes one big lump.  Will take about 5-8 minutes.
- Now grease another small non-stick pan with olive oil. Transfer polenta in this pan and even out with spatula. Transfer this to freezer for 15 mins.
- Meanwhile wash 8-10 swiss chard leaves. Remove stem from center and cut the leaves into two pieces along the stem.
- Saute garlic, swiss chard (add salt) in olive oil at medium flame until soft for about 5-10 minutes.
- Now remove polenta and transfer the pan to gas. Cook for 5 minutes until polenta is slightly brown. Transfer this onto a plate (upside down).
- Now cut polenta cake into 8 triangular pieces
- Apply a thin layer of blue cheese onto each triangle about 1 teaspoon on each. Adjust according to your taste as blue cheese is usually strong.
- Place two pieces of half swiss chard leaves onto the triangles with some garlic pieces
- Arrange one piece on serving plate. Put another piece in perpendicular direction as shown in the picture.
- Drizzle some balsamic reduction about 1-2 teaspoons (or 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar if you don't have balsamic reduction).