Fennel and Leeks Gratinée

I’m not sure why fennel and leeks aren’t as popular in the U.S. as they are in Italy and France, but I’m doing my part here. My husband hadn’t really eaten either of them until he met me, even though he also grew up in an Italian-American family. Broccoli, peas and carrots were more his standard. But fennel is a vegetable that was always on my family’s table when I was growing up. I can remember many holidays when a stainless steel tray, piled with raw fennel, olives, celery and radishes, was served before the main event. We never ate fennel cooked when I was a child, but I’ve made up for that as an adult. It’s one of my favorite vegetables and I’ve been eating it topped with gratinéed parmesan cheese ever since I first had it at a friend’s house decades ago. Leeks are a different story though, since they were never served in our house during my childhood. Even now, I usually buy them only when I want to make leek and potato soup. But they deserved a more starring role for a change, so I paired them with the fennel in this casserole, and the combination was perfect.

Start by cooking the fennel in a gently simmering pan of water. Then drain it, arrange it in a buttered baking dish, and sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper. Do the same with the leeks, then cover everything with shavings of fresh parmesan cheese. Place it in the oven for a short time, then turn on the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese, and decorate with some fennel fronds. Try it and see if you can’t convince more of your friends to try cooked fennel and leeks. I think my husband might finally be onboard. He even took seconds last night. But the leftovers are all mine.

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Fennel and Leeks Gratinee

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• 1 large fennel bulb
• 2 large leeks
• seasoned salt
• black pepper
• butter to smear on the casserole
• water to cover
• shaved parmesan cheese (about a half cup)

Instructions

1. Trim the stalks off the fennel, and cut out most of the hard core.
2. Slice the fennel into four or five thick slices (about 1/4″ thick).
3. Place the fennel gently into a pan with boiling water, to cover.
4. Cover the pan and let it bubble gently for ten minutes or until the fennel is fork tender.
5. Remove the fennel and place in a buttered casserole.
6. Trim the leeks, cutting off most of the top green part, leaving a portion of it on the stem.
7. Cut in half lengthwise and place under running water to remove any dirt.
8. Place the leeks in the boiling water cut side down and boil gently for five minutes, covered.
9. Flip the leeks over gently and cook another five minutes in the water.
10. Remove the leeks from the water and drain.
11. Into a buttered casserole, arrange the fennel and leeks, then season with salt and pepper.
12. Place thin slices of parmesan cheese on the top.
13. Place in a 475 degree oven for ten minutes, then place under the broiler for a few minutes until lightly browned.
14. Keep a careful watch on the dish because it can burn easily.

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Disposable Pan Crostate

Jam-filled crostate (plural of crostata) are ubiquitous go-to desserts in Italy, from the north of the boot to the south, and are eaten at any time of day – even for breakfast. They’re typically baked in a round, ceramic or removable-bottom metal tart pan.  I’ve posted about them in the past, but I wanted to share with you a revelation I had recently when I baked a couple to take to my Italian chit-chat group’s annual picnic. We had just transferred to the beach house for the summer, and I hadn’t yet brought my tart pans, so I went to the grocery store and bought disposable aluminum pans to use instead. I sprayed them first with a little vegetable spray (PAM) and placed the dough and jam inside, wondering if the disposable pans would work as reliably as my old metal tart pans, although admittedly, even with my metal tart pans, I am sometimes disappointed, with soggy bottom crusts.

I needn’t have worried. I had to be a little more careful in handling the pan while transferring to and from the oven, since it wasn’t as sturdy, but the bottom crusts baked more evenly and more thoroughly than the metal tart pans I normally use. I may have to rethink tart-making from now on. The recipe below makes two tarts — using 7 1/2″ x 12″ disposable pans or two 8″ or 9″ metal tart pans. I filled one with fig jam and one with cherry jam, adding a little amaretto to both the crusts and to the filling. They slice up nicely too, into square pieces, making them perfect finger food for a party dessert.

Dig in. Bet you can’t eat just one.

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Crostata

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks of butter, (12 Tablespoons) at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk (save egg white)
• pinch of salt
• 3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup to 1/4 cup amaretto, grappa, sherry or whatever liqueur you like
• a few teaspoons of ice water, if necessary
• fruit preserves (a 13 ounce jar or about 2 cups for each crostata), warmed to spreading consistency
• 1/8 cup amaretto (or other liqueur of your preference) to add to the fruit preserves (for each crostata)
• two disposable 7 1/2″ x 12″ aluminum pans, or two 8″ or 9″ round ceramic or metal pans

Instructions

1. Place flour and sugar into food processor and pulse for a few seconds.
2. Add the butter in small pieces and pulse again, until it resembles coarse sand.
3. Add the egg(s) and liqueur to the food processor, pulsing until the mixture starts to form a ball.
4. Add a little ice water, a teaspoon at a time, if necessary.
5. If you don’t have a food processor, mix by hand with pastry cutter or spoon.
6. Let it rest for about 1/2 hour.
7. Divide the dough into 2/3 for the bottom and 1/3 for the strips.
8. Roll the bottom onto a floured surface and fit it into a buttered tart pan, letting any excess hang over the edge.
9. Fill the crust with jam.
10. Roll the remaining 1/3 of the dough on a floured surface and cut into strips.
11. Place them lattice-fashion over the jam, attach them to the dough along the rim, then trim the edges of the crostata.
12. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25 to 30 minutes until the dough is golden brown.
13. I place the crostata on a cookie sheet that has been preheated in the oven to 425 degrees, then lower it immediately to 375 degrees.
14. It helps ensure the bottom crust is cooked thoroughly.

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