At this season transition moment, this recipe from the New York Times cooking so caught my eye.  Root vegetables baked with some meat, greens and a bit of creamy sauce…Yes please.    I have adjusted it a bit to be farm friendly and more flexible, but as Melissa Clark says about her recipe, “This hearty, wintry dish is a cross between a shepherd’s pie and potato gratin.”  How can you go wrong!   She also has a bit of a video on the recipe, check it out!

And Donna just made us this dish essentially (out of her own head) for farmer lunch and it hit the spot!  So apparently we are in sync and it is the week to share it with you all! Especially with some of this cooler, damp weather.

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk (hello local milk!)
• 2-3 teaspoons dried thyme or a few thyme branches 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped or dried sage
• 1 tablespoon fat of choice, if needed for browning meat & onions 
• 1 pound ground beef, pork or sausage – can be links or bulk, plain or spiced (Hot Italian perhaps?)
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
• Black pepper, as needed
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 3 cups cooking greens (braising mix, spinach, kale, chard, choi)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (optional…or some soy, ginger and additional pepper)
• 1 lb of root veggies, sliced thin (potatoes & sweet potatoes would be great, but you could also mix in beets, turnips, or  rutabaga)
• 1 cup Gruyère or other hard cheese, grated 

Directions

1. In a small pot over medium heat, make the creamy sauce by combining milk or cream, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, thyme and 1/2 tablespoon sage. Bring to a simmer; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 30 minutes. Strain and cool.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. While cream cools, heat a bit of fat in an ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron). Add the meat and brown well, crumbling as it cooks. If needed, do it in two batches.  Season with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
3. Add sliced onion to pan drippings (add a bit more fat if necessary). Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Peel and chop remaining 2 garlic cloves; add to pan with remaining sage. Return meat to skillet. Toss in greens, a handful at a time, until wilted (or warmed if you are using frozen). Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, the Worcestershire if using and pepper to taste.  [I don’t particular like that most Worcestershire sauce has corn syrup, so you can ditch it and add in some other seasonings you like..a bit of concentrated broth, some sauce sauce, ginger, etc.]
4.  While meat is cooking, slice potatoes and other roots you are using, Knives or the thick slice on a food processor will work well for this.
5. Layer half the potato slices over meat mixture, alternating between types of roots if using multiple, with slices overlapping one another. Season lightly with salt and pepper; top with half the cheese. Repeat with remaining roots and cheese. Spoon reduced cream evenly over top.
6. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake until vegetables are very tender, 60 to 75 minutes. Uncover and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Note:  recipe author notes this reheats very well, so you can make it ahead and reheat in a 350 degree oven….or for leftovers!