Polenta with Tomatoes

This recipe comes from Melissa Rubel Jacobson via Food and Wine. There is a restaurant in Venice Beach called Figtree's Cafe and they used to make a wonderful polenta dish with black beans and feta. It was awesome. It was the only thing I would order because I loved it so much. This polenta reminded me of that. The tomatoes are really good too, but the fresh polenta is the star of the show. I would recommend making more tomatoes because this recipe makes a lot of polenta.

8 1/2 cups water
6 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound polenta (2 3/4 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes on the vine
8 thyme sprigs
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large saucepan, bring the water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta and cook over low heat, whisking, until thick, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Scrape the polenta into the baking dish and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently toss the tomatoes with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes on the baking sheet and scatter the thyme sprigs on top. Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to burst; discard the thyme.

Meanwhile, turn the polenta out onto a work surface and trim 1/2 inch off all sides. Cut the polenta into 8 rectangles. Heat a large nonstick skillet. Brush both sides of the polenta with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt. Working in 2 batches, cook the polenta over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the polenta to plates and sprinkle with the goat cheese. Arrange the roasted tomatoes over the polenta and serve.