Scalloped cauliflower
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
This recipe requires making a quick Béchamel sauce, which is not as complicated as it sounds, especially given the rest of the dish is incredibly simple to prepare.
Start by preparing the Béchamel. Heat over 1¼ cups milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons salted butter in a saucepan. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula, over medium-low heat until the roux (butter/flour mixture) is just fragrant but not darkened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and return the saucepan to the heat. Bring the sauce slowly to a simmer, whisking to prevent lumps, and cook, stirring often, over low heat, without boiling, until it reaches the consistency of thick cream soup (8 to 10 minutes).
For the cauliflower dish, begin by preheating the oven to 350°. Butter a 2-quart gratin dish or medium-sized oven-proof pan. Chop cauliflower into small florets and boil in a large quantity of water until tender but still crisp (3 to 5 minutes). Drain well and spread in the gratin dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese (Gruyere, cheddar or Parmesan). Spoon over the béchamel sauce mixed with a pinch of grated nutmeg or Dijon mustard. Sprinkle a little more cheese along with breadcrumbs.
Bake until bubbly and browned on top, about 25 minutes. Serve sprinkled with paprika or red pepper flakes.
In a pinch, you can also make a tasty gratin without making Béchamel first. Simply layer pats of butter on the par-boiled cauliflower and drizzle some whipping cream over the top. (Continue with rest of recipe as above.) Cook until the butter and cream are absorbed and the top is browned. The results will be tasty but not as thick and creamy.
Easy potato leek soup
It’s finally cold and wet outside — a perfect time to make soup for lunch or dinner. One of our winter staples is potato leek soup. Here’s our no-measuring method:
Start by washing and chopping your leeks. I usually slice each leek lengthwise first so I can wash out any dirt that’s snuck inside, then chop into thin half-moons. In a stockpot, sauté the leeks in butter or olive oil until tender and beginning to disintegrate.
Meanwhile, scrub and chop your potatoes. If you want a smooth textured, lighter-colored soup, peel the potatoes. Sometimes when I’m rushed, I just remove any rough spots and leave most of the skins on. Add your chopped potatoes to pot and add just enough good quality broth (chicken or veggie) to cover potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender.
Before serving, puree soup with a stick blender or in a freestanding blender (be careful not to burn yourself!). After blending, sometimes I add chopped white cheddar cheese or cream to increase the creaminess of the soup. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm. Or, refrigerate and serve later as a cold soup — this is the traditional way to serve potato leek soup, but I find it less satisfying than when warm.
You can also be adventurous and try adding other vegetables such as chopped carrots or cauliflower with the potatoes.
Irish Colcannon
adapted from Vegetarian and Vegetable Cooking
Author Christine Ingram says, “This lovely, warming winter’s dish is a lot like eggs Florentine. Here, baked eggs nestle among creamy potatoes with kale or cabbage and a topping of grated cheese.”
Cut two pounds of potatoes (one share’s worth) into even-sized pieces. Boil until just tender, then drain and mash well. Lightly cook about a bunch’s worth of shredded kale or cabbage — until just tender but still crisp. Also, sauté chopped onions, leeks or grated garlic. Preheat oven to 375°.
Drain greens and mix them into the potato with butter and onions, leeks or grated garlic. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the mixture into a shallow ovenproof dish and make four hollows in the mixture. Crack an egg into each hollow and season well. Bake for about 12 minutes or until eggs are just set, then serve sprinkled with cheese.
