Kale is an unrivaled super food in terms of its nutritional benefits, plus it can be used in a variety of dishes, so it’s an all round winning vegetable. We grow three varieties of it here on the farm – Curly, Red Russian and Cavolo Nero – as it does well in our soil. Per calorie, it has more calcium than milk and it’s packed with iron, fibre, Vitamins A, C and K and has zero fat. You can, therefore, afford to be generous with the Gruyere cheese in this week’s recipe from Half Baked Harvest…
Ingredients
Directions
Grease a medium sized casserole dish. Set aside.
Heat a very large skillet (the largest you have!) over medium-high heat. Add all of the torn kale to the skillet and add 1 cup of water. Cover the skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the kale is wilted. Once the kale is wilted and all of the water has been absorbed, remove the kale from the skillet and set aside.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the skillet is hot, sprinkle in the mushrooms in a single layer. Don’t stir them! Let them sizzle until they have caramelized on the bottom, about 2 minutes. When the bottoms are caramelized, toss them once and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue to cook without stirring for about 5 minutes. Now add the butter to the skillet and cook until the butter begins to brown. Once the butter is browned reduce the heat and add the garlic, thyme and nutmeg and cook for about 10 seconds. Now add the kale back to the skillet with the mushrooms, garlic and spices and toss well.
Sprinkle the flour over the kale and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and veggie stock/broth, bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes or until there is a thick sauce. Add the cream and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked wild rice. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Now wipe the skillet and add the olive oil, cook over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Sprinkle half the cheese over the casserole and then add the onions and the remaining cheese. Bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the onions are crispy. Serve!