Midsummer Creamy Casserole

Steam the Potatoes

• I like to use about 2-3 lbs of cubed potatoes.
• Cut potatoes into ½ inch cubes and steam for 4 minutes.  NO more.  They will continue to cook in the casserole when you bake it.
• Once cooked, place in a 9 x 13, greased casserole dish.

The rest of the ingredients will go on top.

Prepare the "Roots"

Cut the carrots and turnips into approximately 1/2" chunks.

• 1 lb carrots,
• 1 lb. bunch of turnips (Either spring turnips or winter storage turnips work…and both are optional.)
• Steam for 5 minutes.  Turn out into a bowl to cool.  Save the water for the next step.

Prepare the Greens

• Cut greens (up to 2 bunches of any kind) in chiffonade style, removing the stems where appropriate and drop directly into the water in the same pot you steamed the veggies. (Remove the steam basket of course.)
• Cook for 3 minutes and then pull them out to cool in a bowl.
• Once cooled chop into a smaller size so no one gets what feels like a piece of hay. (Mouth feel makes a difference)
• Set aside

Saute Onion and Fennel

Melt 1 cube of butter

Add:

• 1 med. size onion-diced
• 1 fennel bulb sliced into lengthwise slivers (remove the core by cutting the bulb in half and using the point of your knife to remove). Fennel is optional but creates a very subtle and tasty sauce.

Gently cook the onion and fennel over med-low heat until very tender. Do not let the mixture brown. Be patient, this could take 15 minutes. You might need to add a ½ cup of water several times once the browning process has started to completely cook the fennel. You want it to look and feel like caramelized onion.

This template may also include zucchini.

Prepare the zucchini so you get the right flavor and mouth-feel.  Use larger zucchini (summer squash) for this method.

• Peel and remove seeds.
• Shred on large size of box grater.
• Put in a colander in the sink, sprinkle with a heavy pinch of salt, stir together and let the liquid run out.
• After 30 min., squeeze out the remaining liquid with your hands and place on top of cooked onions and fennel.
•  Fold raw zucchini shreds into the onion/fennel mixture and cook another 5-10 min. until the whole pan looks golden and smells sweet.
• Don’t let it brown.  This does take patience.

Once the onions and fennel are cooked add:

• 3 cloves garlic-minced
• Cook another 5 minutes to mellow the flavor over low, being careful not to burn the garlic.
• Remove the onion saute to the prepared greens and prepare the sauce in the same frying pan.

The Sauce (making the roux)

Warm 1/2 cup of butter (1 cube) OR 1/2 cup of olive oil in a frying pan.

In a separate bowl measure out and combine:

• ¼ cup white flour
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp nutmeg (more if you’re a fan of nutmeg)
• 1/8 tsp. chipotle pepper if you like a little spice in your béchamel

Add this flour mixture to the butter/olive oil and cook on medium heat, stirring for about 5 minutes until the flour mixture starts to look golden but NOT dark brown.

Stirring constantly with a wire whisk slowly add:

• 2 cups of whole milk

Cook until the white sauce (béchamel) thickens-stirring constantly.

Stir in

• 2 cups of grated cheese (Use Fontina for something very special, or use what you have on hand.)

Once the cheese has melted, fold all the prepared veggies into the sauce.

Pour into the greased 9x13 pan over the steamed potatoes and bake at 350° for 45 minutes until bubbly.

Option:  For a special treat you can add buttered bread crumbs on top before baking.  Cover with foil the first 30 min.

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