We are also celebrating Bryan's first job: he has been selected as a UC Davis Tour Guide! The greatest challenge of the job seems to be walking backward while giving a peppy and heartfelt tour of the campus. He is thrilled. He also is celebrating his first college protest as the Davis community reacts to the pepper spraying of nonviolent protestors.
Back to the food.....I merged several recipes to come up with a new Thanksgiving side dish: Gratin of Four Onions. We actually tested this out on Wednesday night as I don't have enough oven space for turkey and yam casserole and an onion gratin.
Gratin of 4 Onions
1/2 lbs shallots, chopped
1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
2 bunches of leeks (I used 4 leeks but I love leeks)--green tops discarded, washed and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves
3 Tablespoons of butter
1 bag of frozen pearl onions (1 lb) -- I only used about 1/2 of the bag
1 Tablespoon of bread crumbs
Grated cheese -- about 1/2 cup -- gruyere or other melting cheese
1 -2 cups of bechamel sauce.
In a large skillet cook the shallots, yellow onion, leeks and the garlic in the butter over low heat, stirring until the onions are soft. (I like them really soft so give this step some time.)
Stir in the frozen pearl onions and cook until they are tender.
Take off the heat and stir in the bechamel sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Place in a gratin or other baking dish (oiled or buttered).
Sprinkle bread crumbs on top; next sprinkle on the cheese.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbling.
I used the leftovers in a vegetable lasagna: roasted some mushrooms, red peppers, zucchini, peas and corn. Then stirred in the remaining onion gratin and, finally, all of that was combined with tomato sauce. It was totally delicious!
So here are some pictures of our last few days:
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| Hiking along the Coastal Trail near Rodeo Lagoon |
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| The Coastal Trail |
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| Bryan -- the newest UC Davis Tour Guide! |
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| Ready for Thanksgiving Dinner! |
