winter greens

The wet Seattle winter has arrived. The beautifully, vibrant mossy greens around the neighborhood inspired me to try a hearty winter greens gratin.

Winter Greens Gratin with Italian Sausage

adapted from a recipe in Edible Seattle

1/2 pound of spicy italian sausage

1 pound of kale (red or green)

1 pound of collard greens

1 pound of mustard greens

1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse the greens and remove the bitter core from the center of each leaf. Cut the greens in 1 inch strips and set aside.

Remove the sausage from casings and cook in a cast iron pot over medium-high heat. Separate the sausage into small bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until golden brown. Remove sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set-aside.

Add the greens to the pot gradually. Continually adding more greens as the greens in the pot start to shrink and can allow for more room in the pot. Continue stirring the greens until all of the strips fit into the pot. Cover with lid and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, until the greens are tender.

Meanwhile, butter a gratin dish. Once the greens are tender, add the sausage back in the pot and stir to combine. Pour this mixture into the gratin dish. Drizzle the heavy cream over the top of the mixture. Top with grated parmesan cheese, evenly and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.