Gratin of Silverbeet Stems with Blue Cheese

Don't throw those silverbeet stems away! Use them in a delicious gratin like the French do! In fact, here in France, my new family was surprised that we use the leaves at all - they throw them away and use the stems only; the opposite of what we do in NZ!
I've been making lots of pureed silverbeet leaves for my baby was instantly taken with them (hurrah!) and when I tasted it (I force myself to try babyfood - some commercial stuff is virtually inedible!) I found it was SO delicious! Thank you organic farmers at our market! Big win on the greens' front! What to do with those stems? They are so crisp and fullsome that I had to try a recipe I'd read in Stephanie Alexander's splendid cooking encyclopedia 'The Cook's Companion'.
It was a great success and my French husband went on to boast at how it's really a French tradition to eat silverbeet like that. To be honest, he adores anything in gratin-form though.

12 stems of silver beet (optional with leaves of from 4)
1 cup cream
100 g soft blue cheese*
freshly grated nutmeg (go easy unless you're a huge fan as it can be overpowering)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons softened butter
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs (I like to blitz yesterday's baguette remains in the food processor)


*I used bleu d'Auvegne as that's what I had on hand and it was great. Stephanie, who presents recipes for a mainly Australian audience, recommends Aussies try Milawa Blue (inspired by Gorgonzola Dolce) or Gippsland Blue, both cow's milk cheeses, or Meredith Blue,  a sheep's milk cheese.


Preheat oven to 180˚C.

Cut silverbeet leaves away from stems and reserve for another dish. Cut stems into 8cm lengths that are 1cm wide.

Blanch stems for 10 minutes in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water. Drain, then quickly run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain again on kitchen paper towels.

Bring cream to a boil in wiped-out saucepan, then drop in cheese and lower heat. Stir gently until the cheese has melted, then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Drop in stems and some leaves if using (see below). Stir to mix well.

Grease a gratin dish or dishes with butter (ceramic, stoneware, glass or cast iron dishes would all work well) and spoon in stems and sauce. Smooth top and scatter the breadcrumbs over.

Bake until bubbling and golden - individual dishes will need 15 minutes, a large one 25 minutes.

LEAVES - Wash 1-2 per person, then roll them up and slice them. Blanch for 2 minutes then drain. I leave it at that but Stephanie goes on to stew them in 1 teaspoon of butter for a minute and drains them again. Add them along with the stems to the finished sauce before sprinkling with breadcrumbs.