Needed a hearty helping of vegetables after yesterdays cholestorol-fix breakfast.  In keeping with the gratin theme, I was motivated by Prof. Steve Holzinger’s article”All About Gratins”

The Broccoli Gratinee sounded fairly straightforward:  butter, breadcrumbs, parmesan seasonings over crisp steamed broccoli baked in a hot oven.   The parmesan was to be added at the end of the butter-breadcrumb mixing and the mixture may have been too hot and set in the pan before being transferred to the gratin dish.  After a quick ten minutes in the oven it was set to cool.  Despite the dryness – it was super yummy – I couldn’t have ordered up a better lunch.  This recipe will require some further contemplation – reminding me of the old adage “Think before you Cook!”

The gratin is best after it’s sat for a bit.  I’ve only made a couple of them and only two of them could I say that I nailed it – either with just the right amount of nutmeg or set up just right and not too gritty or watery.  I had hoped to have the gratin today with some fresh halibut since the ocean was relatively flat and a boat ride was in order.  Once out there, though, my stomach indicated otherwise and I spent a couple of uncomfortable hours on the boat trying not to move too much for fear of upsetting the delicate balance of a semi-stable stomach on rolling seas.  Plenty of sand-dabs for Kyle (I was too busy ‘balancing’ to work a sand dab rig) and he had never eaten them before.  They are probably one of my favorite eating fish – but lots of work for tiny filets – and I definitely wasn’t going to be up to it this afternoon.

I returned home to a Sunday newspaper, baseball game on the radio and chard gratin.  Exactly what I needed.  It may not look pretty to the eye, but neither did I after a long morning afloat.  After the first bite, I thought to myself “you nailed it”  yummmmm.  Not a cure for seasickness – only a night’s sleep will take it completely out of me – but a darned good way to start an afternoon nap.

The pursuit for chard gratin continues…

The chard is blanched for a minute and then the excess water is squeezed out.

The bread crumbs are ready…needing only to be crushed

The chard is chopped and sauteed with a wee bit of garlic and finished with nutmeg, salt, pepper, a healthy sprinkling of flour and milk is slowly worked into the mix.  I may have made this a bit too watery.

The chard is transferred to a pan…

And topped with the breadcrumbs.  I may have overtoasted my bread … we’ll see…

Into the oven for a slow cook so it doesn’t bubble up.

Stay tuned…

Saturday morning… Farmer’s Market

Time for a Chard Gratin