Your mother always warned you not to make a new dish right before company was coming, and she was right. This recipe caught my eye when it appeared in the New York Times because I have an abundance of both kale and fennel from my fall CSA. Also onion and garlic - the only thing I needed to buy that wasn't already in my pantry or frig was the cheese. It's even useful for getting rid of that cup of rice you have left over from last night's stir-fry.
With a salad, it makes a nice meal on a cold November Sunday, but it's also a great side dish for Thanksgiving, especially if you're traveling to someone else's house. the NYT called it Fennel, Kale and Rice Gratin, which in my house would drive off anyone under the age of 30. (My kids have no idea how much kale they're consuming.) I call it:
WINTER VEGETABLE GRATIN
1 bunch kale, stripped off the stem
2 T olive oil (extra virgin, if you have it), plus 1T
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 ½ pounds bulb fennel, chopped (about 4 cups) If you haven't used fennel before, look online for how to slice and peel it.
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh dill or 4t dried
3 eggs
½ cup 2 percent milk
1 cup cooked rice
3 ounces Gruyère or other Swiss cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
¼ cup breadcrumbs, or mix of breadcrumbs and Parmesan (You can skip this if anyone is doing gluten-free.)
The original recipe calls for blanching the kale in salted water, squeezing out the water, and then slicing it finely. Who has time for that? I bunch the kale leaves up and chop them into tiny little ribbons. If you like to blanch, add the kale in right before the dill.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat the 2T of oil in a skillet. Saute onion and kale until soft, then add the chopped fennel and salt, if you're a salt person. When the fennel is very tender, add the garlic, and then the dill. Season with salt and pepper if you like (I don't use salt because I'm trying to reduce my sodium.) Remove from heat once the garlic is sauteed.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in milk and salt to taste. (The original recipe has a whopping 905 milligrams of sodium per serving! If you're someone who really misses salt, but who would like to cut back, I'd recommend a tablespoon or so of fresh rosemary leaves to brighten the taste up.) Stir in the fennel/kale mix, the rice, and the grated cheese.
Grease a 2-quart baking dish. Pour the egg-and-everything mix into the dish, drizzle with the other 1T of oil, and top with the breadcrumbs or crumb/Parmesan mix. Bake 35 - 40 minutes, until the top starts to brown nicely. Let it sit for ten minutes before serving, which can be done hot, medium, or - if you're putting in the car for the trip to Grammy's - cold.
How about you, dear readers? What are you planning to bring to Thanksgiving?
