Cauliflower Cheese and other gratins etc

[idun]

I love oseille with fish, especially salmon and I have only used it in a sauce, never on it's own.

I always trimmed some of the stalk, and sweated it in some seasoned butter, a pan full goes down to very little and then mix in a teaspoon of flour and then stir in cream and boil up and make sure it is an rich, well seasoned pouring sauce, by adjusting the amount of cream.

And that it is. Well for the lady who gave me the recipe it was, but I always liquidised mine at this stage, as it is more refined and a lovely colour and no bits in it. I shall have to buy some, I can get it here.

I don't garden, cannot keep a plant alive, neither could my Dad.[Www]

[mint]

I just fancied the blue cheese sauce, as described by Mogs.

Actually thinking and talking about you this evening, id.  Did your ears burn?[:)]

I had my first walk in over a fortnight as I'd been down with a cold and a nasty cough.  Still coughing all the time but I managed the walk OK.

Came home and wondered what to make for tea.  Then remembered that I have some cooked veg in the fridge, flat beans and some endives.  Not too promising but I made your pastry.  Then added some freshly chopped onions and made a gloopy "sauce" grating Cantal and Parmigiano into creme fraiche.  Lots of seasoning, a dollop of full-grained mustard and some chillie flakes.

It as a pie, so had a lid as well as a bottom and it was delicious and very more-ish.  Tasty crispy pastry as per normal and I served it with a large green salad and some radishes.

I must have thanked you hundreds of times, id, when I am stuck for cooking something quickly and I can nearly always think of something to do with pastry!

[Gardengirl]

That sounds delicious, Mint.

[mint]

In the absence of instructions from Mogs I did nevertheless make a blue cheese and spinach sauce and I'd make it again but with more cheese.

I blitzed the spinach for a couple of minutes in the micro, let it cool a bit, then squeezed out as much moisture as possible.  Chopped it up and put it into the sauce I had on the stove, using Roquefort (which I already had in the fridge), creme fraiche and a drop of milk, as described by Mogs in her post.  Also I put in a handful of chopped spring onions for extra colour and flavour.

I was nervous about using too much Roquefort as it is such a salty and strong cheese but the sauce lacked that blue-cheesy flavour so next time, I'd use more.

Still very nice main course though with salmon simply cooked in the micro and using only lemon juice and some chilli flakes and minimal seasoning.

I find hot spices strangely tasty with cheese; for example, a sweet chilli sauce (bottle) and ricotta make a very nice dip!