Gratins are such a tasty and comforting side dish any time of year…but particularly now when root vegetables are so plentiful at the markets. I found this recipe with great photos and a tutorial at a new fave…Pinch My Salt… and from there stumbled on to another site with a European flair called Rosa’s Yummy Yums. That just about says is all! She made a Jerusalum Artichoke gratin to go with a slab of beef…but it could be the main course I’m thinking!
Years ago, I used to make a yukon gold potato gratin on a regular basis for my new boyfriend. The gratin helped close the deal, he moved to LB and we have two beautiful children. I attribute it all to my love-potato gratin! Well, to be fair, I might have to give credit to Larry Forgione and his brilliant cookbook-An American Place. I pretty much cooked my way through this book on my many visits to Sacramento. While Rich worked nights at Morton’s I found the best markets, listened to the best music and cooked the best meals of my life! We would eat dinner at midnight, drink port after and play chess until 4am…
Anyway, I just grabbed the cookbook and my post-its are still sticking out of the well trod pages! Here are a few dandy’s: soft pumpkin-corn pudding, cranberry-glazed roast breast of chicken, maple-whipped sweet potatoes, pan fried lake trout with chile hollandaise…blue crab and corn pudding, rhubarb-strawberry crisp, blackberry-apple crisp…need I say more? It’s a really great book!
Okay, here’s the side dish that I should make every anniversary:
Love Gratin
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Gruyere
Goat Cheese
Heavy Cream
Butter
Whole Nutmeg
Whole Pepper
Salt
Pretty easy! Slice yukon golds evenly…like 1/8 inch. In ramekins, rub a little butter on the bottom and sides, layer of potato, grind some pepper, grate some nutmeg, sprinkle some salt, tiny dollop of goat cheese and grate some gruyere. Repeat several times. Finish with a potato layer, s & p, small pat of butter and fill cup with cream. Bake in hot oven-like 400 in a bain marie.
Sounds amazing, right? Hint, when you pour cream over put knife in the edge to make sure it gets down in the layers. You can also put a drizzle of cream between layers. Don’t worry, you’re not eating a whole pan of this rich and creamy side dish…well at least not until the guests have gone home.
I have been inspired by this post to investigate the Sunchoke or Jerusalem Artichoke. There is a great synopsis at Botanical. And here is a slice of info from that site for the gardeners!
—Cultivation—In any odd bit of ground shaded or open, that is unsuitable for other vegetables, a crop of the tubers of Jerusalem Artichoke will always be obtained, though like other things, it pays for a good position and generous culture and the largest tubers will be produced in a light, rich soil.
The ground should be well dug over and if at all heavy, or poor, should be lightened by incorporating some sand with it enriched with well-rotted manure.
For planting, which may be done in February, but not later than March, small tubers should be chosen and indeed reserved for this purpose when the crop is taken up, but almost any part of a tuber will grow and form a plant. The sets should be planted in rows, 3 feet apart and at a distance of 18 inches from each other in the rows, they should be set at least 6 inches deep. As a rule, a great number of plants is produced from one tuber.
The ground should be kept clean by hoeing and as the plants grow in height, a little earth should be drawn up around the stem.
Cut the plants down when the leaves are decayed, but not before, otherwise the tubers will cease to grow. The tubers may be left in the ground till wanted for use. If taken up towards the end of November, they may be stored in sand or earth, but they must be covered, so that the light and air may be effectually excluded, otherwise they will be of a dark colour when cooked.
