Kale, Chard & Mushroom Gratin

Kale, Chard, & Mushroom Gratin

Recipe by Jenn Robbins of Good Foods Kitchen

April 14, 2018

Ingredients

½ lb shitake &/or oyster mushrooms - destemmed & chopped/torn - save scraps!    
2 each leeks - whites sliced, middle part (light green) rough chopped - keep separate!
2 each green garlic - bottom 3rd minced, rest chopped - keep separate!
1 oz butter
¼ cup dry sherry
3 cup heavy cream
2 each bay leaves
Pinch black peppercorns
2 bunch kale, destemmed & chopped
2 bunch Swiss chard, destemmed & chopped
1 oz butter
As Needed cooking oil - your favorite high heat oil (canola, veg, grapeseed, etc)
As Needed salt
As Needed black pepper
½ cup sour cream
Splash sherry vinegar

Method:

To prep the cream base:

1. Over medium-high heat in a sauce pan, sauté the leek middles (light green), chopped green garlic, and mushroom scraps.
2. Once the bottom of the pan starts to collect some fond (color), deglaze with the sherry.  Reduce it until almost dry.
3. Add the cream to the sauce pan, and reduce heat to low-medium heat so it just simmers.  Cook the mushroom cream for ~30 minutes.  Ideally, it will only reduce by about ⅓.  When done, puree on high speed in a blender until smooth.  Set aside.  (This can be done in advance).

To prep the veggies:

1. Chop the kale & chard stems!
2. Pre-heat a Dutch oven or wide, shallow pot (rondeau) over high heat.  Add 2T oil, and a pat of butter once hot.  Sauté the mushrooms, working in batches if needed to avoid overloading the pan.  Stir frequently, and once slightly wilted, season with salt & pepper, and chile powder if desired.
3. When all of the mushrooms are done, reduce the heat to medium-high.  Add the chopped leeks & green garlic.  If the mushrooms absorbed most of the fat, add more butter so the leeks & garlic can be wilted. 
4. After ~2 minutes of cooking, add the chopped kale stems.  Sauté another minute then add the chard stems & chopped greens.
5. Once the greens have been added, stir frequently until wilted.  Season with salt & pepper.
6. Add the mushroom cream and cook the greens until tender.
7. Off heat, fold in the sour cream & sherry vinegar - adjust seasoning if needed.  Pour the gratin mixture into a glass or ceramic baking dish.

**the recipe can be cooked entirely up to this point in advance.  If you choose to, simply cool for finishing at a later time**

To finish:

1. If serving immediately after cooking, pre-heat the oven to broil.  Broil the gratin until golden & bubbling.
2. If gratin has been cooled, pre-heat oven to 350 & cover with foil.  Bake until heated through, stirring occasionally (~30 minutes).  Then turn oven to broil & uncover - broil until golden & bubbling.

Makes ~10c

Mushroom a la Grecque

Mushroom a la Grecque

Recipe by Terry Koval of Wrecking Bar Brewpub

Yield: 2qts

Note: You can cut this recipe in half and follow the same directions to make a smaller batch.

 Ingredients:

 2.5# Oyster mushrooms                               HEIRLOOM GARDENS
½ cup shaved garlic
½ cup Julian shallots
½ cup celery, brunoise
½ cup, carrot, brunoise                                  RODGERS GREENS & ROOTS
tablespoons of kosher salt
½ qt Champagne vinegar
1qt extra virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped fresh thyme
Fresh cracked black pepper
2 cups scallions {thinly sliced}
2 tablespoons chili flakes or fresh chilies

 Method:

In a large wide pot add ½ cup olive oil, bring up to high heat. Add your mushrooms to the pot. With a wooden spoon gently sauté the mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes and to try to achieve a good sear. Add your fresh shaved garlic, shallots, celery and carrot. Sweat all your ingredients on medium heat for 5 minutes or till veggies are tender. Add your champagne vinegar and deglaze your pot, with your wooden spoon push along the bottom of the pot removing anything {FLAVOUR} that might have stuck to the bottom of the pot.* Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and reduce 25% to burn off the raw vinegar taste.

 Remove from heat and add your fresh thyme, scallions, black pepper, chili flakes and olive oil, let cool at room temperature.

 Serve over Wilted Chard and Kale Salad

2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch chard                                                    HEIRLOOM GARDENS
1 bunch kale                                                       HEIRLOOM GARDENS

 Remove large stems and rough chop chard & kale. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large frying pan over medium high heat. Sauté greens until just wilted. 

 *Fun Fact: this technique is known as deglazing: a cooking technique for removing and dissolving browned food residue from a pan. When meat or vegetables are roasted, pan-fried, or prepared in a pan, a deposit of browned sugars, carbohydrates, and/or proteins forms on the bottom of the pan, along with any rendered fat. The French culinary term for these deposits is sucs. These browned bits are super tasty and help develop the intensity of flavor in a dish.