Thyme-y Beet and Green Gratin

In recent weeks, I have rediscovered the beauty of gratins.  It started with Ina Garten's Zucchini Gratin...and I haven't been able to stop gratin-ing since!  I especially love making individual gratins a) because I can put my tall ramekins to use and b) they are just too adorable to resist!

So after zucchini gratin came beet gratin.  I was just sitting looking at the farm veggies and thinking, what could I gratin today?  (Yes, gratin is no longer just a noun; it has become a verb in my kitchen vocabulary).  Beets?  And their greens?  I was a little weary at first because I had never heard of a beet gratin and wondered if I was missing the "ick" factor.  Would this actually be good?  Would the pink color of the sauce be more Pepto-Bismol-y than pretty-in-pink-y?  I was torn whether to use the classic gruyere or instead go with goat cheese, a famous companion to the beet.

In the end, I took a chance.  It would be beet and green gratin with thyme and gruyere.  A few tweaks to Ina's recipe, and it was all set.  I'm so glad I tried this because it turned out to be a lovely surprise!  Why is this not a more popular dish?  It was divine.  The beets and greens were soft and sweet, the sauce a beautiful, deep pink, and the thyme just added a burst of freshness in flavor...plus gruyere is proving to taste delicious on anything.

Thyme-y Beet and Green Gratin

adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris (Zucchini Gratin)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 medium onions, sliced thin in crescents
• 5-6 medium sized beets, chopped (just under bite-size)
• greens (and stems) from the beets, chopped
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper (reduce if you want less spice)
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 heaping tbsp fresh thyme leaves (run your knife through the leaves a few times to help let out some of the oils/aroma)
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used a mix of dry bread crumbs from an old baguette and fresh crumbs from a seedy, whole wheat loaf)
• 3/4 cup shredded gruyere

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and cook for 20 minutes on medium-low (or low if you notice them getting brown too quickly), stirring often, until very tender but not necessarily brown.
3. Add in the chopped beets and cook, covered, for 15 minutes on medium-low or until the beets are fork-tender.
4. Add in the greens and cook, covered, for a few minutes or until the greens are wilted and tender.
5. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper and cook uncovered for 3 more minutes.
6. Turn the stove to low if it's not already there.  Sprinkle the flour over the beets and stir in.
7. Add the milk and cook for just a minute more until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
8. Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme.  
9. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
10. Combine the bread crumbs and gruyere in a medium bowl.
11. Portion the beet mixture evenly among four tall ramekins.  (Alternatively, spoon the whole mixture into an 8x8inch baking dish).
12. Sprinkle the bread crumb and gruyere mixture evenly over the four ramekins.
13. Bake for 20 minutes until the gruyere is melted and delicious.  (Alternatively, don't bake the gratins just yet.  This is a great do-ahead dish.  I baked 2 of the ramekins for dinner right away and put the other 2 in the fridge.  Two days later I baked the fridge ramekins, and they came out wonderfully!  The time in the fridge does them no harm and may even help to develop the flavors.)

Gorgeous beet color.  Naked gratin!

Dressed in a lovely cheesy, bready coat. 

Golden brown and melty.  Crispy on the top with a soft, luscious inside.

The whole time while making beet gratin, I had company.  Sassy company.

Table stretches.

I do not condone this behavior, but after chasing Sassy off the table multiple times, I gave up.  Not exactly sure what to make of this look she kept giving me...

At least she had the courtesy to sit on my papers rather than directly on the table?

Thank goodness I had plenty of counter space to work on with the food!  No one wants Sassy fur in their gratin...I think fur is the only thing that would not make for a scrumptious gratin.  Alas, have no fear, the kitchen table was thoroughly cleaned after Sassy left.