Saturday Comfort Supper

So I was doing yoga this afternoon and all of a sudden I look out the window and there are CROCUSES in the front garden. This is so exciting. So exciting in fact that I fell out of Standing Bow.


See???

That being said, it's pretty damn cold outside today. And windy. Sunny and liquid birdsong but coooolllddd sunny liquid birdsong. I am wearing three sweaters and two pairs of sweatpants if that gives you an indication.

So although it looks like spring, it's still a warm comfort supper kind of Saturday. Hence, title of post.

We had cauliflower in the fridge that I needed to use, and a bunch of different herbs. And also a lot of Veggie Sausage. ("Chicken" Apple Sage to be exact.) And after a day of spin, yoga, laundry, teaching applications, and vacuuming, I felt like inventing something. So . . . virtual drum roll. . .

CAULIFLOWER AND VEGGIE SAUSAGE GRATIN

We're talking SERIOUS comfort food here. Food that says "Yeah, whatever, there are crocuses outside, but I'm also fighting the cat for the space heater and I'm actually looking for dishes to wash so I can immerse my hands in hot water." Food that says "Get your bum on the couch, find a blanket, eat the entirety of this in one sitting, and watch Call The Midwife which (thank GOD) is back for Season 2."

It's actually in the oven right now, so I may post later tonight and say GUYS NEVER MIND IT TASTES LIKE CRAP STOP STOP STOP THIS RECIPE IT SUCKS. But I may also post tomorrow and say "sorry I was in a food coma and this is amazing." Whatever. Here's the recipe, from my brain.

CAULIFLOWER AND VEGGIE (OR REGULAR IF THAT'S YOUR THING) SAUSAGE GRATIN

• One head cauliflower
• Sausages (whatever kind makes your happy - sausage is sausage and that's always good)
• Olive Oil
• Shredded Gruyere or similar
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Fresh Sage, chopped

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a casserole or deep baking dish with olive oil. Cut cauliflower florets thin lengthwise so that they will lie flat. Cut the sausages the same way, I got three slices out of each sausage on my end.

I just like the way cauliflower looks . . . it looks so . . . clean.

 

The best part of shredding fresh sage with your hands is that your hands then smell like fresh sage.

 

Starting with the cauliflower, layer that, sage, a little bit of cheese, then strips of sausage (I made sure the ends of the dish had sausage too . . . you know how much everyone HATES getting "that part" of the gratin that doesn't have all the goodness in it) and salt and pepper. Repeat until you run out of one of them or the dish is full. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese and drizzle with olive oil so that the layers get a little coated.

Comme ça.

I put my dish on a foil covered sheet pan just in case there was spillage, incidentally. And in it goes! Bake for about 30 minutes until the cauliflower is nice and tender. If it starts browning too much on top cover it with another piece of foil.

So me typing "bake for about 30 minutes" was the catalyst for me looking at the clock, yelling "SH*T" and running into the kitchen.

Which.

Smells.

AMAZING.

It's done! It's beautiful. See? We're getting ready to eat, but I can't IMAGINE that this wont' taste good. I mean. Seriously.

Closeup of melty cheesy goodness.

So there you are, dear reader, Saturday Comfort Supper. Go grab your Doctor Who sweatshirt, a fork, the remote, forget the fact that you did your taxes yesterday, and dig in. You've earned it.