Greens and Rice Gratin

(Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times) 

This dish has become our standby for using greens from the market. If we’re pickling beets or using turnips in a stew or salad, we save the greens for this delicious casserole—which is as good cold for lunch as it is warm. And funny enough, some friends who don’t care for beets love the greens. If you don’t have beet or turnip greens handy, spinach and kale also work. 4–6 servings. 

• 1 large bunch greens (beet or turnip, stemmed and washed) 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced 
• Salt to taste 
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme 
• 3 eggs 
• ½ cup milk  
• Freshly ground pepper 
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 cup cooked rice, arborio rice or Calrose rice 
• 3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (½ cup, tightly packed) 
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs  

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 2-quart gratin dish with olive oil or butter. Blanch the greens for 1 minute in a large pot of generously salted boiling water. Rinse with cold water, squeeze out water and chop medium-fine. Set aside. 

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic and salt to taste (about a teaspoon). Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, so that the garlic starts to lightly brown. Stir in the cooked greens and the thyme and toss. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat. 

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Add ½  teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add the cayenne or a dash of hot sauce. Stir in the greens mixture, the rice and the cheeses and mix together well. Scrape into the oiled baking dish. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of oil. 

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until sizzling and lightly browned on the top and sides. Remove from the heat and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

Carrot Top Pesto

Recipe from Anna Thomas’s Vegan Vegetarian Omnivore: Dinner for Everyone at the Table, W.W. Norton, 2016.  

How many times have you thrown away those bushy green tops? Me, too—but no more. Now I make this deliciously peppery, textured pesto. Have it as a condiment with roasted spring carrots, or roasted new potatoes. Or spread it on crostini with a dab of white cheese.  

Be sure you have fresh, bright green carrot tops. And if you have no basil to add to the mix, try parsley or cilantro and a few fennel greens instead. Makes about 2 cups. 

• 4 ounces trimmed carrot tops (from 1 or 2 bunches), big stems trimmed off  
• 2 cloves garlic 
• ¼ cup (1 ounce) walnuts 
• 1 ounce fresh basil leaves, chopped (about ½ cup) 
• ½ ounce fresh mint leaves, chopped (½ cup), plus more to taste 
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt 
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

Pull the fronds of the carrot tops off the stems and discard the stems. Carrot tops have a firm, chewy texture, but the stems are tough. Wash and spin-dry the greens. 

Pulse the garlic and walnuts briefly in a food processor, then add the various greens and the salt and pulse again, scraping down the sides of the container as needed, until the greens are finely chopped. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and process the pesto until it is smooth. 

Khao Poon Kalee (Curry Rice Noodles)

Recipe from Chef Seng Luangrath, Thip Khao

Khao poon, the national noodle dish of Laos, is sold at many markets and street stalls and eaten on festive occasions. It features rice vermicelli and different kinds of broth—some sour, some spicy, some with or without coconut milk. This version, one of my personal favorites, features a rich coconut curry broth. Serves 4. 

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts water 
• 2 bunches (about 17 ounces) medium-thick rice vermicelli (preferably the Oldman Que : brand, labeled 802) 
• ½ cup coconut milk (to cook the curry paste) 
• 2 cups coconut milk (to create the curry sauce) 
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil  
• 1 (14-ounce) can yellow curry paste (preferably Maesri brand) 
• 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder (preferably Madras style)  
• 1 cup cooked poultry (leftover shredded or ground turkey or chicken, optional) 
• ½ cup bamboo shoots (rectangular slices) 
• ½ cup onions (cut into small squares) 
• ½ cup cooked, skinless potatoes (cubed) 
• 5 tablespoons fish sauce (preferably Three Crabs brand) 
• ½ teaspoon salt (preferably kosher or sea salt)  
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar (broken up or crushed) 
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock 

Ingredients for plating:

• 4 cups mixed julienned white and purple cabbage  
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts 
• ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro 
• 16 mint leaves  

Preparing the Noodles:

Bring the water to a boil in a pot, about 15 to 20 minutes. Once the water reaches a boil, add the rice vermicelli and cook on high heat. Loosen them with a cooking spoon, then agitate the noodles frequently to ensure they cook evenly.  

The water will turn white and milky as starch leaches out from the noodles. Once the noodles are just past al dente, in about 10 to 15 minutes, remove the pot from the stove. Immediately dump noodles into a colander. Rinse thoroughly with cold water until all residual heat is gone. Set aside. 

Making the Sauce:  

On high heat, preferably using a nonstick pot, add the cooking oil and allow it to heat up, about 1 minute. 

Add ½ cup coconut milk and the yellow curry paste. Stir to integrate. Cook the paste, stirring frequently to prevent sticking as oil from the coconut milk rises to the surface and as the mixture bubbles.  

As the content darkens and shrinks, turn the heat to medium and gradually to low, until the oil from the coconut milk has reduced and dissipated, about 15 minutes. 

Add 2 cups of coconut milk, yellow curry powder, chicken stock, bamboo shoots, onions and meat (if desired), stir well and bring the heat back up to high. Add palm sugar, fish sauce and salt. Stir to blend, making sure the palm sugar dissolves. 

Allow sauce to reach a boil, about 5 to 10 minutes. Once boiling, turn off heat and add in the pre-cooked cubed potatoes. Set aside and prepare for plating.  

Directions for Plating (repeat for each individual serving)  

Place 2 cups of the noodles into a large bowl. 

Ladle curry sauce over the noodles with enough to generously cover but not to immerse. Top the noodles with ½ cup of bean sprouts. Then, add 1 cup of the white and purple cabbage medley. 

Sprinkle on cilantro as desired and top with 4 mint leaves. Mix together upon eating.