Autumnal Greens Casserole (Vegetarian)
I went shopping with my good friend B, and picked up a few things. I got Campo Lindo Farm eggs and Shatto milk. Some nice purple organic onions. I had a nice fridge full of greens already: lacinato kale and curly Russian kale. So I made a casserole I've loved for a long time, but haven't had in a while. It's from the original Moosewood Cookbook (updated) and I love it to bits. It's extremely cheap. I have made a few modifications but the basic recipe is hers.
You will need:
About 1 cup brown rice uncooked, or about three cups hot cooked brown rice (you could use cold leftover rice as well, but it might take a bit longer to bake)
Two large onions, finely chopped, but you can substitute frozen if need be
5 or so garlic cloves, or several spoons of pre-chopped garlic
A little oil for cooking
About two pounds of greens, chopped: you can use frozen spinach but kale is the best tasting and also, kale is an amazing powerhouse of nutrients. Also it is insanely pretty. Go kale go! Other options would be: collards, chard, or brocolli rabe. A large box of baby spinach would be perfect.
3 eggs
1 cup milk
Quite a lot of cheese, I always always make this with Tillamook Cheddar, at least one cup, more is better
1/2-1 cup sunflower seeds
Salt and pepper, a pinch of cayenne
A casserole or 9 x 13 cake pan, greased
Begin by putting your brown rice on to cook. It's two and a bit cups of water to one cup brown rice. I always use the rice cooker, but there are other good ways, such as baking.
Chop the two large onions and your garlic and put them to cook gently in a big pot with some oil over medium heat. Stir from time to time. Sprinkle with pepper and about a teaspoon salt.
While the onions cook, wash and finely chop your greens, and shred your cheese.
Add the greens to the onion. It's fine if the greens are wet (or frozen), cook them until the greens are tender. Quite a while (say ten minutes or more) for kale, and only a few minutes (say two) for the baby spinach. Turn the oven on to 350.
Turn off the burner. Whisk the milk and eggs together, with your pinch of cayenne. Add the rice to the greens and stir well. Add half the sunflower seeds and the cheese, stir, and then add the milk-egg mixture, and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture into your greased cake pan, sprinkle with the remaining sunflower seeds, and put in the oven.
Bake about forty-five minutes to an hour, until the casserole is toasty brown and crunchy. It will have absorbed the milk and egg and become a wonderful rich autumnal green and chewy rice nutty wonderfulness. I serve it with a simple salad or, in tonight's case, a single large sliced Black Krim tomato. Delightful.