TasteFood

Beet Gratin with Gruyère and Thyme

Beet Gratin with Gruyère and Thyme

I am a beet convert. It took a good long time for me to reconcile their earthy taste. I gazed at beets from the sidelines, attracted to their vibrant magenta and ochre hues, cognizant of their nutrient-rich flesh, yet I shuddered at their redolence of dirt. As a cook, I wanted to love them. As a parent, I wanted to serve them. So, I willed myself to eat beets until I learned to appreciate them.  

At first, I took baby steps. I nibbled small bites. I prepared them with limes and oranges, letting the acidity of the citrus tame their earthiness. I grew bolder and roasted beets in olive oil, discovering that fire and char nicely counteracted their dirt-like flavor. My go-to beet became the golden variety, which is pleasantly mild and nuttier in taste. And, eventually, I succeeded. Now, I am a full-fledged beet eater. I order beets in restaurants, and I cook with them. Yet, while I no longer shudder at eating a completely naked beet, I continually craft recipes that embrace the beet while tempering their earthy nature.

This recipe for Beet Gratin does just that. It's unambigous in its ingredients, allowing the beets to shine through in a cast of minimal characters. The co-stars of the dish happen to have their own strength and assertiveness, helping to tone down any earthy qualities that might be lurking in each bite. Layers of beets are thinly cloaked in olive oil. Gruyère cheese is sprinkled between the beets along with fresh thyme and a trace of nutmeg. The presentation is simple and absent of any gratin goopyness. The beets release their juices while cooking, saturating the gratin with their brilliant color, while the flavors meld together. When I made this, it was so good, everyone at the table was reaching for seconds. As a cook and as a parent, I find that a very good thing.

Beet Gratin with Gruyère and Thyme

I prepared this recipe in individual ramekins. A gratin dish will also work for family style serving. Red beets, golden beets or a combination may be used. Serves 4.

Unsalted butter
4 medium-sized red beets, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, finely grated
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Ground nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper 

Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.) Butter 4 ramekins. Thinly slice beets with a mandoline. Arrange one layer of sliced beets in each ramekin (one slice may fit perfectly.) Lightly brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with cheese, a little thyme and a pinch of nutmeg. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat layering process until ramekins are full, pressing down lightly. Bake in oven until gratins are bubbling, cheese is golden and beets are tender, about 45 minutes. Serve warm with fresh thyme sprigs as garnish.

If you like this you might enjoy these TasteFood recipes:

  Spiced Sweet Potato Fries 

  Curried Butternut Squash Soup

  Potato Gratin

or these beet recipes from the foodblogs: 
Beet Hummus from Simply Recipes
Beet Salad from Wright Food
Pickled Beet Dip from A Veggie Venture
Chilled Corn and Golden Beet Soup from No Recipes
 

 

Kitchen Table Philosophy: Macaroni, Cauliflower and Cheese

 

What do you do when you've had a bad day? We all have them, and today was my daughter's turn: Difficult math test, monotonous swimming lesson, lots of homework, and a bumpy day with friends on the playground. All in all, a tough day for a ten year-old.

I had a busy day, too. I was researching sources for sustainably-raised meat and drove out to West Marin. I returned home with a list of sources as well as a cooler full of grass-fed meat from Marin Sun Farms for our freezer, including 4 beautiful lamb loin chops I planned to cook for dinner. I spent the afternoon busy at the computer writing and researching a new article and in a meeting.  All in all, a busy day for a grown-up. 

Then my daughter arrived home, tired, overwhelmed and teary from her day.  Her first request was if I would make her favorite dish - Macaroni, Cauliflower and Cheese - for dinner.  My immediate response was negative; I had all this lamb, after all.  She then pulled a chair up to my desk and began to recount her day to me, while I continued typing at my computer, half listening to the news on the radio in the background and half listening to her experiences.

Suddenly, I had a moment of clarity:  Sometimes you have to stop all your busy-ness, let go of your preconceived plans and just sit down at the kitchen table, fully present. I wasn't fully present anywhere at that moment. So, I shut down the computer, turned off the radio, and sat down at our kitchen table with my daughter.  Together, we prioritized her homework so the seemingly mountainous pile became approachable tasks; we worked out those fractions and  proofread her Spanish.  All the while, I fully listened to the news of her day, the dramas, frustrations and thoughts, remembering that at one point I was also there and and how the world felt to a 10 year-old after a long day.

And dinner?  The lamb will wait a day.  Tonight we are having Macaroni, Caulliflower and Cheese.

 
 

Macaroni, Cauliflower and Cheese
Serves 4-6

1 medium head of cauliflower, divided into 1" florets

1 lb. (500 grams) penne
Salt

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup bread crumbs (panko)

Prepare:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Steam cauliflower until tender but firm. Remove from heat. Set aside.
Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta. Cook until just tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain. Return to pot. Stir in cauliflower.
Combine cheese in a small bowl. Set aside.
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Add 2/3 of the cheese. Stir until smooth. Add mustard, salt and pepper.  Combine cheese mixture with pasta and cauliflower. Pour into a buttered rectangular baking dish. 
Toast breadcrumbs over medium-low heat in a dry skillet until golden. Remove from heat and toss with remaining cheese. Spread breadcrumb mixture over pasta.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake in oven until top is golden and crusty, about 40 minutes.

Tip:
Try substituting broccoli for the cauliflower, or combining the two.
Alternatively, you can omit the pasta, and use only vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, rutabaga, parsnip) for a delicious gratin. 

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée

 
Now that it's officially fall and the weather is behaving accordingly, one-pot dinners are favorite meals in our home.  Easy to prepare, comforting to eat, they please the entire family.  This week I made a Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée.  Mushrooms are abundant now, so take advantage of the varieties appearing in the market and use a combination in this fricassée.

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée
Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken breast halves, with skin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lb. (250 g.) assorted mushrooms (such as white, cremini, shitake) stems trimmed, halved
3 leeks, white and pale green parts, cleaned, sliced in 1/4" pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/4 cup (60 ml.) dry white wine
1/2 cup (120 ml.) chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Salt and pepper chicken all over.  Add chicken to skillet, skin-side down.  Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes.  Remove chicken from skillet.
Reduce heat to medium and add one tablespoon olive oil to skillet.  Add mushrooms and leeks and cook, stirring, over medium heat until leeks are vibrant and vegetables are tender but not too soft, 3-4 minutes.  Add thyme and sauté one minute.  Add white wine and simmer until most of the wine is evaporated.  Add chicken stock and return chicken to pan.  Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through, 5-8 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and tent with foil to keep warm. 
Add cream to vegetables and simmer until cream and stock reduce by a third and begin to thicken.  Arrange chicken on serving plates or platter.  Spoon sauce over chicken.  Serve with rice.

Try these other one-pot chicken recipes from TasteFood:

Braised Chicken with Porcini Mushrooms

Skillet Chicken with Rice and Vegetables







Hunter's Stew, Mediterranean-Style









And more from the Foodblogs:
Mediterranean Chicken and Spinach Rice Bake from Karina's Kitchen
Chicken, Garlic and Soy Stew from Bitten Blog
Tomatillo Chicken Stew from Simply Recipes
Chicken and Okra Stew from Foodblogga

Provençal Vegetable Tian with Goat Cheese and Basil Coulis

Tiring of Ratatouille?  I am a big fan of the Provençal-inspired stew of summer vegetables, but by the end of August I find myself seeking cues for inspiration in a hungry quest for different ways to use the heaps of squash, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes harvested from our summer gardens.  So, prompted by this month's Grow Your Own event hosted by Andrea's Recipes, armed with a shiny new lime-green enameled cast iron pan, and inspired by a scrumptious article on tians in my favorite French magazine, Côté Sud,  I decided to create a Provençal Vegetable Tian with homegrown heirloom tomatoes and basil. 

Tian is the the French word for a casserole baked in an earthenware dish, layered with seasonal vegetables and cheese.  Originating in the south of France, and possibly influenced by the North African couscous pot, the ingredients are decoratively arranged and slow cooked for simple, rustic, flavorful results.  What better way to present a typically Provençal selection of vegetables than in a tian?  The sliced veggies are tossed in a coulis of puréed basil leaves, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil to give moisture and the unmistakable flavor of summer.  Crumbled soft goat cheese adds a creamy, tangy depth to this vegetarian dish.  Baked until the vegetables are tender but not too soft, this tian is delicious straight from the oven or even the next day.  Just like a good ratatouille - but different.

 

Provençal Vegetable Tian with Goat Cheese and Basil Coulis
Serves 4-6

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium, firm eggplant/aubergine, stemmed, quartered lengthwise, cut in 1/2" thick slices

3 large ripe vine or heirloom tomatoes, cut in 1/2" thick slices
2 small yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 red or orange sweet peppers, halved, seeded, cut in 2" square pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut in 1/4" thick slices
1 medium yellow squash or 2-3 large patty pan squash, cut in 1/4" thick slices
6 oz. (180 grams) fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Prepare Basil Coulis:
Combine basil and garlic in bowl of food processor. While the machine is running, pour in 1/3 cup (80 ml.) oil in steady stream until consistency resembles a vinaigrette; add more oil if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Grill Eggplant:
Arrange eggplant slices in one layer on oven tray.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill in oven until eggplant turns golden brown and softens, about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Assemble Tian:
Preheat oven to 325 F. (170 C.)
Lightly oil an earthenware baking/gratin dish.  In a large bowl, toss slices of grilled eggplant, tomatoes, onions, zucchini and yellow squash with 3/4 of the basil coulis.  Arrange slices overlapping on the diagonal in baking dish.  Crumble goat cheese over vegetables.  Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in oven 50 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool briefly.  Drizzle remaining basil coulis over tian.  Garnish with whole basil leaves.  Serve warm or at room temperature.