I love my farmers market. I go to the big one in Union Square, and this time of year, it’s just bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and cheese, flowers, honey, and most everything I could possibly want. When I get home, I proudly take out each item and display it on the table for Amir to admire. Perhaps it is some latent gathering instinct passed down through generations of women who searched fields, farms, and now farmers markets for food for their families. Or perhaps I’m just mildly insane. Whichever.
I made this gratin for my parents when they visited at the end of June. They tore through it. It was bright and fresh. There was grated zucchini, and lots of fresh herbs, some spring onions, and a tomato added in because it’s summer, and they’re everywhere, and you have to use them whenever possible. Then the whole thing was topped with cheesy bechemel, what’s not to love?
Well, not a lot really. My parents, as I said, loved it. They continued to think about it for a good 48 hours. I felt, however good it was the first time around, that there were unexplored possibilities with this gratin. The flavors are very Provencal so I decided to boost the tomato further, I also added a bell pepper, and while I was at the market I saw beautiful crimini mushrooms, so I added those as well. Because I’d upped my vegetable quotient, I scaled down the rice a very little bit. I also used my new favorite cheese,
Tumbleweed by 5 Spoke Creamery. The cheese is grassy and almost cheddary, and I thought a little lemon juice tossed in with the vegetables would set it off nicely.
I should mention that this dish introduced me to marjoram, for which I am forever grateful. It is spicy and sweet and you should use it more often. Now for an embarrassing admission: while at Whole Foods, buying my version of a
crack baguette, I grabbed what I thought was parsley, but it was cilantro. Whole Foods can make me very anxious, there are too many people and I’m always getting knocked by carts, so I grabbed the first flat-leafed herb I saw and ran.
The gratin turned out perfectly, richly flavored and not too heavy, and tasting like summer. The mushrooms added a nice meatiness, and the Tumbleweed added bite. I was thrilled with my amendments. Except for the cilantro part, it was fine, it didn’t detract at all, but parsley would be better. Do as I say, not as I do.
This is not a thirty-minute meal, it is anything but. It takes hours to prepare. You could make things easier on yourself by stretching your tasks out over a few days. Make your rice one day, then make your bechemel the next night, on the third night, chop your vegetables and get to gratin-ing.
For the Herb Bechemel:
2 cups (scant 500 ml) milk
1/4 cup (30 g) diced onion
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
3-1/2 (47 g)tbsp butter
3-1/2 (35 g) tbsp flour
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
1/3-1/2 cup (25 g) chopped herbs (I used basil, marjoram, parsley [not really, but you should] and thyme, I also went for the larger amount)
In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat with the onion, bay leaf, parsley and thyme until bubbles begin to form, but the milk does not boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
Strain milk into a measuring cup or tea pot, or whatever you have that’s easy to pour from.
Make the roux: melt the butter, add the flour, and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Quickly pour the milk into the roux and whisk until thickened. Let mixture come to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to very low and let cook for 20-25 minutes whisking occasionally. The mixture may be a little lumpy at first (mine was) but it should smooth out.
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in herbs. If you’re not going to use it at once, place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming (I didn’t do this, a skin formed, it was fine).
For the gratin:
measurements for vegetables are extremely approximate, the pictures show more or less what I used, so use that as a guide and improvise as much as you want.
3/4 cup (115 g) long-grained brown rice, cooked until tender
about 1/2 pound (260 g) summer squash
1/3 pound (150 g) mushrooms
1 small bell pepper
2 spring onions (you could also use 2 shallots or 1/2 a small onion)
2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2-2 cups (about 400 ml) Herb Bechemel**
1/4 cup (15 g) chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped marjoram, plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup (60 g) grated cheese (I used Tumbleweed, but you could use Parmesan or Ricotta Salata)
Salt and pepper
juice of 1/2 a lemon
Preheat oven to 375-degrees F (190 Celcius) and lightly oil a gratin dish (I used this pie pan, which holds 1.4 quarts or 1.5 liters. An oval dish would be better, with a round dish it takes a while for the center to brown.)
Coarsely grate your squash and toss it with a little salt, place it in a clean dish towel in a colander and set aside to drain.
Finely dice your onion and pepper and chop the tomatoes and mushrooms. Wring out the squash to rid of excess moisture. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or a wide skillet over medium heat. Add onions and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes and squash and cook, stirring frequently, until the pan in dry and your vegetables have begun to color, about 15 minutes. Add 1/2 of the bechemel sauce, rice, herbs, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Smooth mixture into the gratin dish. Mix cheese and the remaining bechemel and smooth it over the top. Bake until the top is golden, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with extra marjoram and serve.
*If you don’t own this cookbook, buy it. Try the original recipe for this gratin and cook everything else in the book, you wont be disappointed.
**You could probably use a cream of mushroom soup, or something like that if you don’t have time to make your own bechemel.
Final note: make this sherbet, it is so intense, you really only need a few bites to feel completely satisfied. (I’m big on the imperative today, aren’t I?)
