Catch-all Veggie Gratin, for summer's bounty.

It happens to us all. The week goes by in a blink, a string of nights out with friends or working late. Suddenly, your CSA pickup is tomorrow and your fridge is still brimming with summer's bounty and leftovers.

There's hope! I invented what I call my "CSA casserole" or "catch-all veggie gratin" a month ago when company was coming and I had an abundance of kohlrabi, bok choy, parsley and all of those CSA staples. It just seemed natural to throw them all in a baking dish, toss with some onions, cheese and cream and bake. The result wass unexpectedly delightful — a summer veggie hash.

I know, baking is not everyone's favorite activity in this 90+ degree heat. But once a week, suffer through the hour of hot kitchen time so you can enjoy this dish all week. The steps are simple and the ingredients infinitely variable.

Catch-all Veggie Gratin

Start with a large baking dish that holds 4-6 cups, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Veggies: Anything will do, even if they're cooked leftovers. I've used kohlrabi, bok choy, turnips, potatoes, kale and cauliflower, feel free to experiment. If you're cutting up larger veggies, cut into equal-sized slices or chunks. Onions, shallots or garlic to taste. I chop one or two onions to layer with the veggies and cheese.

Herbs. Parsley is great, the more the better. Any fresh herb should work. I also add dried thyme to the milk when I'm heating it.

Milk or cream. Heat two cups on the stove but do not boil. I tossed in some leftover ricotta for added richness.

Cheese. Any cheese you have lying around that can be grated is fine. Softer cheeses, like goat cheese or ricotta, can be melted into the milk when you heat it. You'll want about 1 1/2 cups.

• Layer the veggies and cheese, alternating so the cheese is the final, top layer.
• Pour in the hot milk or cream until it comes about 3/4 of the way up the baking dish.
• Bake for 45 minutes until golden on top.

When it's done you'll have lunches for a week, or a ready side dish to any dinner. Or, serve as the centerpiece accompanied by a green salad with a tangy vinaigrette.

Planning a Hudson Valley Vegetable Garden

Today our food travels an average of 1500 miles from farm to table — and we consider it an environmental and gastronomic victory to reduce that distance to a handful of feet. You know that local, seasonal tastes the best and is better for you because less nutrients are lost in storage and transport. But maybe you want to go beyond your local farmer’s market or even your weekly CSA share – perhaps, like us, you’ve decided it’s time to grow some of your own.

Paul and I are novice gardeners – having relocated from Brooklyn to the relative calm of Beacon almost exactly a year ago. Last spring I managed to get basil, squash, carrots and cucumbers without knowing how to do much of anything. Armed with these small successes, I want to see what other magic I can coax from this rich Hudson Valley soil.

We have a small front garden traditionally full of flowers to which we’re going to add the blossoms of scarlet runner beans and maybe some sweet pea vines. We have a small raised bed in the backyard for other crops like our dragon carrots, rainbow chard and Catskill Brussels sprouts. So much to do, where to begin?

Seeds

• Plan to plant what you like to eat and start to learn these vegetables' growing seasons and preferred temperatures. Visit these links for some help planning for spring harvest and a fall harvest.
• We were excited to learn of a new resource for none other than New York heirloom seeds, the Hudson Valley Seed Library. Start here because these plants are proven for our region, and a membership is only $20 and includes 10 packets of seeds! Ken Greene, the HVSL's founder, has even teamed up with local artists to create beautiful art packs for certain varieties. We hope to bring you more information on the nascent efforts of the HVSL in a future post.
• Another tried and true resource is the Seed Savers Exchange.This venerable non-profit institution has been preserving biodiversity since 1975. In addition to helping propagate rare varieties, they have useful information on saving your own seeds.
• Renée's Garden is a site we stumbled upon looking for French green bean, or haricot vert, seeds. She offers a wide variety of heirloom veggies and culinary herbs. But perhaps more important is the wealth of information available on seed starting and other topics.

Climate & Soil

• Know the zone. The gardening zone, or hardiness zone, is your guide to deciding which vegetable varieties are best suited to your garden. Most of the Hudson Valley is in zone 5 and 6, but you can lookup your zone by zip code here. Some zones have changed in the last 16 years due to climate change.
• Last and First Frost Date. The last frost date is in the spring and the first frost in the fall. These are dates between which it's safe to plant seeds and seedlings outdoors. Here is a chart for major cities in New York State but here are some words of caution, because the dates are based on averages.
• Soil composition. Pardon the pun, but soil chemistry is a deep subject. Last year we just planted things and took our chances, with pretty good results. But this year I think I'll invest in a soil testing kit so I can better understand which nutrients I want to add to the soil to improve plant growth and health.
• Compost. Compost is, well, the sh*t. Here is a fantastic glossary of "dirty words" such as compost, composted manure, topsoil, humus and mulch by Mike McGrath, the King of Compost. Seriously, he wrote the book on it.

Additional Help

• Speaking of Mike McGrath, you should avail yourself of the You Bet Your Garden show on NPR. It's available as a podcast on iTunes or just browse the myriad topics from the YBYG archives.
• The Cornell Cooperative Extension is the New York state branch of the USDA Extension Service. The extension services are non-formal educational program designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives, mostly in the areas of agriculture and food, home and family, the environment and community economic development. This includes access to a Master Gardener, though there is so much on the web, do your homework first.
• Take a class. The Pfeiffer Center in Chestnut Ridge and Blooming Hill Farm in Blooming Grove both offer beginning veggie gardening workshops. Check LocalHarvest.org for other events in your area.
• Join a Community Garden. These gardens are run by seasoned gardeners, and for a small yearly fee you can get your hands dirty in good company and pick up years of local knowledge from fellow gardeners. Also a great option for urban gardeners !For kids and teens from age 7 and up, there is a The Green Teens program with locations in Poughkeepsie and Beacon. Of course, you can also start your own.

Happy gardening! We'll be keeping you posted as to our progress, let us know about yours in the share section or drop us an email with your feedback (know a fantastic HV garden center?) at hudsongrown [at] gmail [dot] com.