Crookneck Squash and Rice Gratin

I realize that crookneck squash is a summer vegetable, but I decided to go ahead and make this when I saw nice little yellow and green squash in my supermarket. I know they are from Mexico (which is not ideal). Oh well. This dish also features marjoram or thyme, summer herbs according to Deborah, but I consider thyme to be a year round herb, so that's what I used.

I used the ingredients that I had handy, so I almost feel like I didn't make Deborah's recipe. It was really delicious anyway. Here are all my modifications. I used onion instead of leeks - I just could not find leeks at the store today. I used brown rice instead of long grain white rice. I used a mishmash of different kinds of cheese I needed to use up, including mozzarella, cheddar, swiss, and a tiny bit of smoked fontina. The recipe called for gruyere. I also put the dusting of herbs on top before cooking instead of after. These modifications were all delicious and I would make it this way again, but I'm looking forward to trying it Deborah's way at some point.

Let's Get Started

First put on 1/2 a cup of rice to cook. (Bring one cup water to a boil, add a little salt, add the rice, turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or so.) She uses long grain white rice, which makes sense with the summery veggies. I used organic brown rice which gave the gratin a more chewy texture.

Butter a 2-quart gratin dish or 4 individual gratin dishes. Preheat oven to 350º.

Chop up a big handful of parsley leaves, several big marjoram or thyme sprigs, and 2 garlic cloves. You can chop this all together into a garlic-herb mixture. I had about a half cup total.

Wash and thinly slice 2 pounds crookneck squash or zucchini. Slice into thin rounds and set aside. (In the winter time you can use grated butternut squash and sage instead of thyme or marjoram.) Grate 1/2 cup of gruyere cheese, or whatever you've got. Set aside.

Quarter 2 large leeks lengthwise, white part and a little of the green. Rough chop and wash the leeks. Heat 2 t. olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add the leeks. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add a splash of water or dry white wine to keep them from browning or burning. (I used tonic water 'cause that's what I had in my fridge. It made the onions a little sweeter, which was nice.) Season with a few big pinches of the herbs, 1/2 t. salt, and pepper to taste. Scrape into a bowl and return the pan to the stove.

Raise the heat and add 1 T. olive oil. Add the squash to the skillet and saute until golden in places, 4 minutes or so. Add about 1 T. of the herbs and continue to saute until fairly tender and a little more colored, two minutes or so.

Turn off the heat. Return the leeks to the pan, along with the rice and cheese. Toss well, taste for salt and season with pepper.

Set aside 2 T. of the herb mixture and add the rest to the vegetables. Transfer the mixture to the gratin dish(es), drizzle a little oil over the top and bake until hot throughout, about 25 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and brown the top.

When they come out of the oven, top with reserved herbs and a little lemon zest. Serve hot or warm.

Fresh tomato would be a nice accompaniment in summer, or braised greens in winter. I think the brown rice would be perfect for the more wintery version.

Things I'd Do Differently Next Time

I'd like to try this with white rice, leeks, and gruyere. I'd also like to try this marjoram, an herb I really love. The winter version with butternut squash and sage sounds great, too.

Cost to Prepare

1/2 cup rice - mine came from the farm, but I think maybe $.25 for regular white rice

big handful of parsley - from the garden, but maybe $.75 from the store

several big marjoram or thyme sprigs - garden again, but maybe $.50

2 garlic cloves - $.25

olive oil, salt, pepper - negligible

2 large leeks - $2.00

2 pound crookneck squash or zucchini - about $4.00 in winter. In summer, it's free from your neighbor

1/2 cup gruyere - $2.00

1 t. grated lemon zest - from the yard, or $.50

TOTAL for 4 people - $10.25 if you buy everything from the store. I think it cost me about $4.00 for the squash and everything else I had on hand in the garden or the pantry.

I will definitely make this again. It was very flavorful and delicious

Asparagus & Leeks on toast

We just finished our asparagus and leeks on toast dinner. It was simple, tasty, and easy to make. We will definitely have this one again. It's a great recipe for spring because asparagus is just coming into season and new skinny leaks will be available for the next few months.

Let's Get Started

• You begin by soaking the top 5 inches or so of your asparagus in water for a few minutes. I used about a pound for the two of us. Soaking loosens any dirt that may be in the tips and gills of the stalk. Rinse and set aside.
• Slice 2 skinny leeks into rounds and rinse well in water to get out any dirt. The rings will come apart and this is fine.
• Rinse a couple big handfuls of small spinach leaves. If you're using pre-washed, then just set it aside to use later. If you're using regular bunches of spinach, cut off the stems, rinse well and then soak in water for several minutes, then rinse again. It's really hard to get spinach all the way clean and nothing ruins a dish like having dirt in it.
• Chop one garlic clove. The recipe calls for 2 heads green garlic, which is much milder than regular garlic. One clove worked out great for us. Use more if you like.
• Melt 1 T. butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and garlic and stir to coat them with the butter. Let them cook for a minute or two. Add 1/2 cup white wine or water. I didn't have any white wine open, so I used water. Cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add the asparagus and another 1/2 cup water. Simmer for about 8 minutes until the asparagus is tender. You should end up with about 1/3 cup of liquid still in the pan.
• While that is cooking, toast 2 thick slices of good, rustic bread. We used sourdough from Nightingale Bakery. (SOOO good!) When the toast comes out of the toaster (or oven), cover it with thin slices of Italian fontina cheese or Gruyere.
• Add the couple handfuls of spinach and another tablespoon of butter. Stir until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Add the juice from half a lemon. Taste for salt and pepper.
• Put one slice of toast with the cheese on each plate. Cut the toast in half. Cover with the vegetables and their juices.

Things I'd Do Differently Next Time

I only used the tips of the asparagus and saved the stems for another dish. I think next time I would cut the asparagus into smaller, bite-sized pieces and include the whole stalk of the asparagus (except the tough lower part, of course). I will definitely try this with white wine next time, although it was really terrific with just water. If I ever find green garlic at the farmers market or get some from my CSA, I will try it in this dish. I'm not really familiar with using green garlic, so this would be a great opportunity to try it.

Cost to Prepare

1 lb. asparagus - $3.00

2 leeks - $3.00 (1 pound)

1/4 pound baby spinach - $1.25

4 thin slices gruyere - $1.00

2 slices really good bread - $.75

2 T. butter (organic) - $.20

1/2 lemon - free from my tree outside

1 clove garlic, salt, pepper - negligible

TOTAL for 2 people - $9.20

This was just about the right amount for 2 people, but we were really full. You could make this as a side dish if you were eating some other protein source and it could easily feed 4 people.

Chard and Onion Torta

This is an extremely tasty dish and not too difficult to make. It does have to bake for 30 minutes, but the prep time is about half an hour and then you can relax. The saffron in this dish really adds a lot of flavor. This is a great way to use the chard that is in season right now.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 and buttering a baking dish. Cut the crusts off 2 slices of bread and put the bread in a food processor to make bread crumbs. Press the crumbs into the buttered dish to make a crust for the torta. Set aside any extra crumbs.

Heat 2 T. butter in a skillet and add 1 large, thinly sliced onion. Crumble 2 pinches of saffrom threads over the onion. Cook until onion is very soft, about 15 minutes. Add a little water or wine to the pan to keep it from crisping, if needed.

Add 1/4 cup slivered basil leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves (or 2 pinches dried thyme), and 2 big bunches of chard leaves that have been separated from the stems and cut into 1 inch pieces. Cook until the chard has wilted and is tender, about 7 minutes. While that's cooking, smash 2 garlic cloves in a mortar with a pinch of salt to make a paste. Add the garlic and some salt and pepper to taste to the onions and greens. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in any extra bread crumbs. Add 1 cup grated gruyere cheese, 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, 3 lightly beaten eggs, and 1 cup milk or light cream. Stir until just combined.

Pour the filling into the prepared dish, grate a little extra parmesan over the top, and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Poke a knife in the top to make sure the eggs are set. Let rest a couple minutes before serving.

Approximate cost to prepare:

2 slices bread - $.60

1 large onion - $.40

1/4 cup slivered basil - $.50 (?)

2 bunches chard - $5.00

2 garlic cloves - $.40

1 cup gruyere - $2.00

1/4 cup parmesan - $.25

3 eggs - $1.50

1 cup milk - $.50

saffron - ??

mint, garlic, salt, oil - negligible

TOTAL - $11.00 for 4-6 people

Good potluck dish.