Best Totally Local Gratin Recipes

THREE-GREENS GRATIN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens. When the water comes to a boil salt generously and add chard. Blanch for 1 minute, until just wilted, and using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain and squeeze out excess water, taking the chard up by the handful. Chop medium-fine and set aside. You should have about 2 cups.
• Bring the water back to a boil and blanch beet greens for 1 minute; if using spinach, blanch for 20 seconds only. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine. You should have about 1 cup (less for spinach).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add leeks. Cook, stirring, until leeks begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes, and add garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add cabbage and thyme. Cook, stirring often, until cabbage collapses in pan, about 5 minutes, and add another generous pinch of salt. Continue to cook the mixture until the cabbage is tender, sweet, and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped blanched greens and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir together for about a minute and remove from the heat.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl and add a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in rice or farro, vegetable mixture and cheeses. Scrape into prepared baking dish. If using breadcrumbs, toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle over the top. If not using breadcrumbs drizzle remaining oil over the top.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

CREAMY AU GRATIN POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a medium casserole dish.
• Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

MUSHROOM AND GREENS GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt abundantly and add the greens. Cook for one to four minutes, depending on the type of green (sturdy greens take longer), until just tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, then drain and squeeze out water. Chop coarsely.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet, and add the shallots or onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about eight minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the rosemary and garlic. Cook for another minute. Add the greens, and stir together for another minute. Adjust seasonings.
• Whisk together the eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper, and stir in the cheeses and mushroom/greens mixture. Scrape into the baking dish. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until browned and sizzling. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

BEET GREENS, GREEN GARLIC AND BARLEY GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin dish with olive oil. Blanch the beet greens for one minute in a large pot of generously salted boiling water, or steam over 1 inch of boiling water for two to five minutes until wilted and tender. Rinse with cold water, squeeze out water and chop medium-fine. Set aside.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Continue to cook for another minute or two until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the cooked greens and the thyme, and toss together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir in the greens mixture, the barley or rice, and the cheeses. Mix together well. Scrape into the oiled baking dish.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes until sizzling and lightly browned on the top and sides. Remove from the heat, and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

'TOTALLY LOCAL' GRATIN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and set out the butter. Rinse greens well and drain. Remove and discard any tough stems. Cut greens crosswise into thin strips. In batches, add the greens to the boiling water and let wilt for 30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. In two or three handfuls, gather the greens into a ball and squeeze tightly to remove excess water. Evenly spread the greens in the base of a large gratin dish.
• Place the room-temperature butter in a bowl. Add the cornmeal, and using a wooden spoon, work the cornmeal into the butter. Transfer to a piece of wax paper and roll into a log that is 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Chill.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender, purée the eggs and the cream. In a medium saucepan, melt the blue cheese over low heat, using a whisk to gently stir. Add yolk-and cream-mixture, and stir until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes; be careful not to scramble the eggs.
• Pour the cheese and egg mixture over the greens -- it should almost cover them. Cut 10 thin slices of cornmeal butter, then break them up and spread them over the top of the gratin. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn on the broiler to brown the top.