Cauliflower, Carrot and Spring Green Cheesebake
- enough for 3 to 4 people with leftovers
(if you are making for a party, double all quantities of vegetables and sauce)
1/2 to 3/4 large cauliflower, cut into small florets, including stalk and leaves chopped
1 large carrot, cut into small, triangular batons
Spring greens, at least 6 leaves, sliced/shredded
1 garlic clove
50g butter
2 spring onions, sliced including green ends
50g plain flour *or gluten free plain flour
1 tsp English mustard powder
Grated cheddar (as little or as much as you like)*
400ml semi skimmed milk
150ml reserved vegetable water
1 piece of brown bread - broken into breadcrumbs, mixed with tsp of olive oil
and a pinch of dried mixed herbs
OR * porridge oats (gluten free alternative)
Salt and pepper
More grated cheese for topping
This vegetable dish couldn’t really be easier. It is easy to make ahead of time and then cook it in the oven. It is important to reserve and re-use the same water the various vegetables have been cooked in - to be used later in the cheese sauce. There should be enough sauce to cover the vegetables easily.
Heat the oven to 375F/190C Electric/170C Fan/Gas Mark 5.
Put on a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Cut the cauliflower and carrot up and boil for only 5 minutes, until the vegetables still have bite in them. Drain and turn the vegetables into a ceramic, rectangular dish. Make sure to keep the water - add the spring greens and boil for 2 minutes only. Drain, reserve the vegetable water in a large jug, and tip the greens into the dish with the cauliflower and carrot. Mix gently.
Prepare the cheese sauce - melt the butter, fry the crushed garlic clove and spring onions gently until softened, cook the flour and mustard in for a few minutes, add the milk and vegetable water in slowly, stirring until the sauce thickens. Sprinkle in the cheese, add salt and pepper and take off the heat. If the sauce is too thick at this stage, add some more of the reserved cooking water from the vegetables. Pour over the vegetables and cover with the breadcrumbs, mixed with herbs and olive oil. For people who can't have gluten, I have found that porridge oats work really well, mixed with herbs and olive oil in the same manner. Grate some more cheese on top.
Cover the dish with foil and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, taking the foil off for the last 10 minutes.
For a really good vegetarian meal, this goes really well with garlic mushrooms and roast parsnips, drizzled with fig vincotto (fig and wine vinegar syrup).
* I haven't specified how much cheese to use as I don't eat it usually - this recipe is an exception! Probably 1 breakfast bowl of grated cheddar would be fine.