Recipes from America's Small Farms Fresh Ideas for the Season's Bounty

BASIC GRATIN The only thing that makes a casserole a gratin is the crisp, well-browned, broiled topping. You can use buttered bread crumbs, grated cheese, a mixture of the two, or nothing at all over layers of cooked vegetables. 1 pound potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, or Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and thinly sliced 1 pound leafy greens, cabbage, zucchini, summer squash, fennel, Belgian endive, or cauliflower, rinsed and drained, if necessary, and thinly sliced, or an additional pound of roots and tubers above 4 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (optional) 2 cups milk, stock, or cooled vegetable cooking liquid 1/4 cup all-purpose flour Salt and freshly milled black pepper 1 1/4 cups grated Cheddar, Swiss, Muenster, Monterey Jack, or other cheese 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs or panko (Japanese bread crumbs) The only thing that makes a casserole a gratin is the crisp, well-browned, broiled topping. You can use buttered bread crumbs, grated cheese, a mixture of the two, or nothing at all over layers of cooked vegetables. Cook the root vegetables in boiling salted water for 5 to 7 minutes, until the surface starts to look cooked. Drain; save the cooking liquid and let cool to use for the sauce, if desired. Blanch the pound of more tender vegetables; drain thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 2-quart gratin or shallow baking dish. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic, if using, until they start to brown, about 4 minutes. Whisk the milk into the flour in a small bowl. Whisk the milk mixture into the onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is bubbly and thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Layer half of the root vegetables, 1/3 cup sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, half of the tender vegetables, 1/3 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat, ending with 1 cup sauce and 1/2 cup cheese. Combine the bread crumbs and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. If using butter, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons before combining. Sprinkle crumbs over the cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the root vegetables are tender and the top is well browned. CHAPTER ONE: BASIC TECHNIQUES As they are picking up their weekly shares, CSA members often ask us how to clean, store, and use the vegetables. The volunteers working at the site always share their knowledge of the vegetables in question, but tips are immediately added by other members who have come to pick up their produce. We try to make a note of some of this advice and include it in our weekly newsletters. Because members come from all over the world as well as from all over the United States, it is exciting to hear the many different ways a particular vegetable can be handled. This chapter incorporates much of the basics we have learned, while tips for handling specific vegetables will be found in the recipe chapters that follow. We love fresh vegetables because they contribute color, flavor, texture, and nutrition to our diet. All of those factors are affected by the way we handle, store, and cook our produce. These guidelines will help you decide what to do next when you arrive home with a variety of fresh organic vegetables and will provide options when you have no plans for dinner. One of the major advantages of membership in a CSA is that you have a ready, summer-long supply of local vegetables that have been picked at their prime and shipped a very short distance, and not been warehoused before you get them. This in itself ensures better flavor and less deterioration than in produce that has been picked underripe, shipped across the country, and stored in a wholesale market before reaching your supermarket. To keep your produce in good condition once you get it home, you need to do three things: reduce its respiration, prevenHayes, Joanne Lamb is the author of 'Recipes from America's Small Farms Fresh Ideas for the Season's Bounty', published 2003 under ISBN 9780812967753 and ISBN 0812967755.