Cookerati

Since I have plenty of Kale, I search for different recipes to try out.  I followed the recipe on this one, thinking, okay, we’ll try it and see.  It looked kind of on the funky side to me with the bright green, but it was very good tasting. My daughter said it reminded her of pumpkin pie.
This recipe was also from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.  This book is one of my favorite resources.  I’m not a vegetarian, but it offers ways of cooking meatless meals that appeal to me.  I actually have a first edition book that I bought twelve years ago and still use today.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup pearl barley rinsed
• Salt and freshly milled pepper
• 1 large bunch kale, about 1 1/4 pounds stems entirely removed
• 2 tbs butter
• 3 tbs flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk or basic vegetable stock
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup grated gruyere or provolone

Directions:

In a saucepan, add the barley to 1 quart boiling water with 1/2 tsp salt  and simmer uncovered until tender, about 30 minutes.  Drain, then puree Kale with 1/4 cup of the cooking water until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan, whisk in the flour, then add the milk.  Cook stirring constantly over medium heat, until thick.  Season with allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Combine all of the ingredients, check the seasoning and transfer to a lightly baking dish or ramekins.

Bake until lightly browned on top (that was difficult to tell) about 30 minutes.  If you’ve used ramekins, run a knife around the edges, then unmold them by giving them a sharp rap on the counter.  Present them browned side up.