Spinach and Red Pepper "Gratin"

I’m not very good about the whole seasonal produce thing. I usually plan my meals well in advance and don’t necessarily think seasonal until I see the price of the non-seasonal vegetables. I feel guilty about this, and so I end up trying to compensate by buying whatever looks decent at the local natural foods market and/or the farmer’s market. What that means is greens, and for us, mostly kale. I’ve grown very fond of kale and throw it into many dishes where it’s not called for—pasta dishes, egg dishes, soups—greens are good for you, right? I sometimes do the same with collards, but they’re quite a bit more assertive and can be bitter.
So when I went to make this dish (the recipe is from a back issue of Bon Appétit), I had a lonesome bunch of kale in the fridge. Also half a package of mushrooms. They both went in, uninvited. I didn’t have the ricotta or Swiss cheese (does anyone call it Swiss cheese anymore?) the recipe called for, either. Not to worry—I had goat cheese and some fancy cheddar that had been on sale at Whole Foods. Results? Yummy!
This dish isn’t really a gratin; you could call it a casserole (very non-threatening), a crustless quiche (sounds healthy), or a frittata. In any case, it’s really good and comes together pretty fast. I like the balance of healthy and artery-clogging qualities. If you cook it, feel free to use the veggies that are looking lonesome in your fridge!

Spinach and Red Pepper Gratin
Adapted from the March 2004 Bon Appétit

Serves 4 as a main dish; maybe 6 as a side.

2 red peppers
1-2 bunches of kale
2 big tubs of spinach (about 10 oz. total)
1 T. butter
2 leeks (white and light green parts only), washed and thin-sliced
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
About 1 oz. each good Cheddar, goat cheese, and Parmesan, grated or crumbled
4 eggs
1 c. cream (let me know if a lower-fat substitution worked for you)
Salt, pepper, nutmeg

Roast the peppers the way you like to—I do it in my toaster oven at 400 for about 20 minutes, then let them sweat in a paper bag. While they are roasting, put on a big pot of salted water to boil. Wash the kale well and cut out the stems with scissors. Cut it into 1/2-inch ribbons. Cook the kale in the water for about 6-7 minutes, until it is tender but not mushy. Add the spinach and just stir it around to wilt before you drain it off. You’ll want to dry it well, which means that you could press it in a kitchen towel (which will be green for eternity) or in a potato ricer (very effective, but you have to do it in batches). While the kale is cooking, sauté the leeks and mushrooms in the butter over medium-high heat; season them with a bit of salt and pepper. Mine developed a brown crust on the pan, which I deglazed with vermouth.
Add the garlic and cook a minute longer. Peel and dice the roasted peppers. Now heat the oven to 350 and butter/grease/spray a baking or casserole dish that holds at least 2 quarts. Put all the veggies (the greens, the reds, and the browns) into the dish, and then sprinkle the cheeses over that. Whisk together the eggs and cream, season fairly aggressively with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and pour that over. Shake the dish (gently) to distribute the egg mixture. Bake the gratin for about 45 minutes—it’ll be golden brown on top, and a knife should come out clean. Serve hot, warm, or room temp.