Romanesco & Red Bean Gratin

One great thing about writing a food blog is you can try whatever food combinations you like. No need to worry about tradition, unless you wish to, no pesky editor to shoot down a creative idea.

I rarely plan a dish ahead of time these days. I purchase produce based on what looks best and challenge myself to come up with something new and rewarding.

Truth is, I probably would have used an Italian cheese to make the sauce for this Romanesco & Red Bean Gratin if I'd had one available. But, I didn't so I improvised and the result was show-stopping! What cheese did I use? Tintern, a sharp and creamy Welsh cheese with shallots and chives. The combination really worked.

Romanesco is the prettiest vegetable:


Originally from Northern Italy, the Romanesca cauliflower (also known as Broccoli Romanesco and Chou Romanesco) has the texture of a cauliflower, but tastes much more like mild sweet broccoli, with a slighty nutty flavor.

I steamed the florettes until almost cooked. Then mixed them with the red kidney beans and topped them with a simple roux made with grated Tintern cheese. Broiled for 2-3 minutes. A delicious and comforting winter supper. Soak up any extra sauce with bread.