On a cutting board, wash and slice the zucchini in to ¼ inch thick rounds and set aside. Seed and finely chop the tomatoes and set aside in a medium bowl. Finely chop the white onion and add to the medium bowl. Mince the garlic and add 2/3 to the bowl, and set aside the remaining 1/3. Chiffonade the basil leaves (roll them in a ball and make fine slices from there) and add to the bowl.

In the bowl with sliced vegetables, add rinsed and drained white beans, juice of one lemon, 2 tbsps of balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsps olive oil, 1 tbsp water, and red pepper flakes (sparingly, as things can get spicy quickly), salt and pepper, to taste. Mix and allow to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes (for a more robust result, make this ahead of time and marinate over night in the refrigerator).

In a dry skillet or sauté pan (the same one you’ll use to cook the polenta), add the pine nuts over a medium heat. Watch them carefully and move them around with a spoon for about 2-3 minutes (or until they smell toasted and appear to darken). Do not let them get too browned or they will quickly turn black and burn. Once toasted, remove from heat (and pan, or they’ll keep cooking) and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the oregano, half the remaining minced garlic, salt, and pepper and mix. Lightly coat the polenta and zucchini rounds with the herb mixture. In the same skillet or sauté pan you toasted the pine nuts, add a tbsp. of olive oil and place over medium heat. Cook 7 to 10 minutes, turning once, until polenta rounds are golden brown and heated through. Zucchini should be moved more frequently to prevent burning and likely will take a little longer than the polenta to become soft and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.

On a plate, set a few polenta rounds and surround with zucchini. Top with room temperature (that’s when the flavor is most robust) bruchetta and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Enjoy!