Greens Gratin
This recipe can be made with whatever greens you would like to pop in the oven. The bitter greens such as the greens from turnips, beets and kohlrabi, stand out a bit more for a rich flavor. You can even use the radish greens from last week if you still have them. My tops went to a veggie juice one afternoon.
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs of greens and stems
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
15 ounces ricotta cheese…
OR 1 to 2 cups of feta, chevre, or parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of milk
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the tsp of salt. While it heats, wash the greens very well. Trim the rough ends, then cut the thin stems (the ones up to a half-inch in width) into half-inch lengths and set aside. Cut the leaves into one-inch strips and set aside separate from the stems. Drop the stems into the boiling water and let cook for three to four minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place into a colander to drain. When the water returns to a boil, add the greens, in batches if necessary, and cook for no more than two to three minutes, until cooked but still bright green. Add to colander to drain. Once completely drained, refrigerate. You should end up with about 4 - 6 cups of greens and stems.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in all ingredients except greens and stems. Remember this is when you decide on the cheese to use. I used our local goat cheese and added just a bit of parmesan.
With a spatula, fold greens into the mixture. Grease a quiche pan or other baking dish and transfer mixture into it, smoothing. Cover with foil and refrigerate if you are not baking right away. You can prep this up to two days ahead.
Let gratin come to room temperature. Set oven to 375F. I sprinkle the top with hungarian paprika but you can also add crumbled crackers or bread crumbs, if you like. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes (60 minutes if straight from refrigerator).
Mine is ready now. I am thinking that a pan of cornbread might be nice with this.
