Cauliflower And Swiss Chard Gratin Food

CAULIFLOWER AND SWISS CHARD GRATIN

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, add milk and cardamom pods and bring to a simmer over high heat, 2-3 minutes. As soon as milk reaches a simmer, immediately turn off heat and let steep, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare chard for sautéing: Separate the stems from the leaves by cutting around the stems. Gather the stems together, then trim and discard the bottoms. Finely chop stems and set aside. Use a paring knife to peel away the onion skin, then cut onion in half. Remove the root end, then thinly slice into half-moons. Set aside. Peel garlic, trim the ends, then thinly slice. Place the chard stems, onion, and garlic into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add olive oil and a pinch of salt, then turn heat to high. Stir and sauté vegetables over high heat until they begin to sizzle. Turn heat to low and sweat the vegetables until they are soft and the onions are translucent, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
• Blanch cauliflower: Cut away and discard cauliflower leaves, and trim the stems (set the stems aside for later). Slice cauliflower top into several large chunks, and cut half of the chunks into small florets. Heavily salt the boiling water ("just a little shy of ocean water"), then add the florets. When the water comes back to a simmer, continue to cook for 2 more minutes, then scoop out with a strainer or slotted spoon. The cauliflower should be slightly cooked but still al dente. Set aside. (Leave the heat on). Roughly chop the remaining cauliflower chunks and reserved stems so the pieces are about the same size; add them to the sautéed chard stems, onion, and garlic. Strain the cardamom pods from the milk, and add the milk to the sautéed vegetables. Turn heat to medium, cover, and simmer until cauliflower is very tender, 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If it ever seems too dry, add a bit of water.) Meanwhile, blanch chard leaves.
• Blanch chard leaves: Add another big pinch of salt to the cauliflower-blanching water (enough to make it "salty as the sea"). Add chard, bring back to a simmer, then simmer 30 seconds more. Scoop out the blanched leaves using a strainer or slotted spoon and place into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Butter the gratin dish and set aside. Finely grate the Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano and set aside in separate bowls. Gently squeeze the water out of the chard leaves; then roughly chop and set aside.
• In a food processor, add the cauliflower-milk mixture. Pulse a few times so the mixture doesn't splatter, then purée on high. Transfer purée to a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped chard leaves, loosening up any clumps, and the blanched cauliflower florets; stir to combine. Let rest to cool, 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
• Add half of the Gruyère to the cauliflower-chard mixture; stir to combine. Season to taste, then transfer to the prepared gratin dish. Level the surface with a spatula, then evenly top with remaining Gruyère and all of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cover with foil and bake, 30 minutes. (Note: Gratin can be assembled to this point up to 2 days in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Remove 2 hours before baking so it can come to room temperature.)
• After 30 minutes, remove foil and place under the broiler for 4-5 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through. (Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!) Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes, then serve.

SWISS CHARD GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°.
• Coat the interior of a 1 1/2-quart gratin or baking dish with the softened butter and spoon in the 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs; tilt the dish around until they cover the buttered surface.
• Slice the chard stems and leaves into 1 1/2-inch pieces; wash in cold water; drain but don't dry them.
• Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat; add the shallot and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until softened but not browned, about 1 minute; add the chard, sprinkle with salt; cover tightly and steam until the chard has wilted to half its original volume, about 2-3 minutes; uncover and cook the chard, turning occasionally with tongs, until all the water in the pan evaporates, about 5 more minutes; season with pepper and set aside.
• Sauce - melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour; cook, whisking, until mixture bubbles up and turns lighter in color, about 1 minute; pour in the cold milk all at once; whisk vigorously; add salt and bay leaf; heat, whisking, until it comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes; reduce the heat to low, simmer 2 minutes; stir in the nutmeg, oregano, thyme and 1/2 cup of the cheese; remove from heat and discard bay leaf.
• Mix the cooked chard and the sauce; spoon into prepared pan; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs and remaining 1/2 cup cheese; bake until golden and bubbly, 35 minutes.

BAKED PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER AND SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large, straight-sided skillet, melt half of butter over medium-high. Add garlic, chard stems, cauliflower, and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until garlic is golden, 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water; cover. Cook until cauliflower is just tender, 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in chard leaves.
• Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups water. Add remaining butter and flour to skillet; cook over medium-high, whisking, until toasted, 1 minute. Slowly whisk in pasta water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook, whisking, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low; whisk in sour cream and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Stir in pasta and chard mixture; top with remaining cheese. Transfer to oven; bake until cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Serve.

SWISS CHARD GRATIN

Steps:

• To pickle the chard, put 400ml water in a large saucepan or sauté pan with the star anise, sugar and vinegar. Put the remaining spices in a cloth bag tied with string, add to the pan, bring to the boil, then drop in the chard, stalk first. Press the chard down in the pan and simmer for 3-4 mins - don't worry if you can't cover the leaves completely in the liquid, as they will wilt and become submerged while cooking. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Once cooled, remove the chard from the pickle mix and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Lay the chard in an A4-sized baking dish. In a bowl, whisk the cream and garlic together with some seasoning, then pour over the chard. Sprinkle over the cheese and cayenne pepper, and bake for 30 mins.

PENNE WITH SWISS CHARD AND CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the onion and cook over medium heat until golden and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
• Once water is boiling, add cauliflower and some salt, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove cauliflower with a slotted spoon and set aside. Set aside 1/2 cup of the water.
• Add the penne to the boiling water, stir it and let it cook for about 8 minutes, until al dente.
• While the penne is cooking, add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned; then, add the Swiss chard and cook, stirring, until it wilts, another 3 minutes or so. Stir in the cauliflower and reserved cooking liquid and the red pepper. Season with salt.
• When the penne is done, drain it, add it to the skillet and toss with the vegetables over low heat. Serve at once, dusted with cheese.

CASSEROLE OF SWISS CHARD AND GRUYERE

Steps:

• Rinse the swiss chard, drain it and chop it fine.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion, saute over medium heat until tender but not brown, then stir in the garlic. Add the scallions and tomatoes, then add the chopped swiss chard. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the swiss chard has wilted.
• Remove from heat, stir in all but two tablespoons of the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spoon the swiss chard mixture into a one-quart casserole. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes, then serve.