Kohl Rabi, Potato and Thyme Gratin

A Kohl Rabi is an unusual vegetable and one that I'd never heard of, or seen before I started getting an organic vegetable box delivery from Riverford.  However I followed the recipe suggestion that came with it last year and now I've discovered a new delight, and only wish that it had a longer season.  Join me with discovering this new vegetable:

The recipe supposedly serves 4 but it depends how generous a portion you have and what it accompanies.

Ingredients:

• a little butter for greasing
• 1 large kohl rabi, peeled and very finely sliced
• 500g potatoes, peeled and very finely sliced
• 200ml double cream
• 100ml milk
• leaves from 2 large sprigs of thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 3 Tbsp grated parmesan or vegetarian equivalent

Method:

Grease a gratin or baking dish with a little butter.  Preheat the oven to 180*C.

Put the cream, milk, thyme and garlic in a pan and heat until steaming.  Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 15 mins.

Layer the potato and kohl rabi in the gratin dish, seasoning with salt and pepper as you layer.  Pour over the infused cream. 

Cover with foil and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until the veg is just tender (this will depend on how thinly you sliced the veg).  

Remove the foil and scatter over the parmesan.  Bake until golden, approximately 15 mins.

Riverford gave no indications of what to serve this with and I believe that it is versatile enough to go with whatever you fancy.  Today we had it with a roast but it is also excellent with sausages,  and vegetarians can eat it with green vegetables.

Your greatest challenge will be obtaining a kohl rabi but if you manage to get hold of one I would definitely recommend cooking this.  If it's a hot summers day it is perfect in a coleslaw or salad ... but today is a disappointing finish to May and we needed something hearty and warming.

How to make Friends

It has been far too long since I took part in a Scrapbooking challenge and today I took the metaphorical bull by the horns.  I finally visited CSI again and decided that there was no time like the present to dive back in.  Case file 164 was one I felt able to crack and I am pleased that I managed an entire layout in an afternoon.

I started by deciding on the photo ... one that I have been meaning to scrap for a whole year.  It was perfect for a CSI challenge as the photo would never have been taken and the memory never made without CSI.  

The testimony is presented as a 'how to' instruction and details how to make new friends.  I had not expected to make new friends by participating in an online challenge and yet that is what happened.  The very first week I joined CSI I ventured into the chat room; and that in itself was a major first for me. It was here that I was able to answer a question posed by Gayle who was also a newbie to CSI.  It was a first challenge for both of us. I was impressed with her submission and we became 'friends' on the site.  It was not long before our private messaging became more of a conversation and we ultimately exchanged email addresses.  

I think for both of us it was like having a pen pal as we had when children. Sometimes a scrapper needs a fellow soul to understand the passion and be non-judgmental about the quirkiness of crafting. After just 6 months a friendship was forged and we met up in New York City.  

I have used papers and embellishments that Gayle generously gave me as a gift and I've filled the rest of the space with my new love ... Kaisercraft collectables.  My efforts with ink are still tentative but I'm persevering.  I'm not sure if ink counts as 'wet medium' as evidence but it is certainly wet (my fingers are testament to that!)  I also used a brad to anchor some ribbon and to start the story of 'How to'. Other evidence used is stripes, architectural accent and speech bubble. 

A few close ups:

 I haven't used much washi tape before now but this recent purchase by freckled fawn is perfect and led me to use yellow as my primary colour.  I had intended to create a predominantly blue layout but somehow it evolved on its own.

Thanks for not giving up on me and for taking the time to scrap with me again, I love to read any comments that you leave.