The Random Veg Bin Grateng

The fresh veg' shelves of the 'big 4' grocery market chains in Norway are a sorry sight. Variety is poor, and despite appearances, qaulity can also be poor. Yet they do try more exotic veg' , and it is then the consumers themselves who leave such experimental attention seekers to wilt and grow mould. We are alas, often left with broccoli and carrots as items in date and edible for a pauper's budget.

We do though have the 'immigrant shop', oft' middle eastern or thai of main theme, but often they sell much the same eclectic range of fresh fruit n veg as each other. The best value items are often fresh herbs, in gushing bunches for a fraction of the price of the mean little plastic enclosed main stores' offering, or the annoying potted growing versions which often take up room and disappoint any way.  Add to that aubergines, sometimes the mini versions which can be sweeter, and that wonder of the squash family, butter nut.

Shaped like some ancient diety in honour of fertility, the dome headed, pear bottomed squash is truly a mother of all vegetables in her generousity of edible flesh. The hard, seemingly impenetrable skin belies the lush orange contents , which puts its ostentatiouas cousin, the pumkin, to shame for her mean little lining pf bitter sweet promise. A couple of kilos of butter nut gives a full crock of soup which csn be further strethced with cream,  yet still enough for a substantial vegetable content to another dish.

Sad Mrs. Broccoli resides often in the lower veg box of the fridge, bought often out of duty and rarely consumed by kids or even trhe under 40s. There she is very often neglected as a run of italia's fast conscious holders in pasta or outright junk food pizzas are flung out of the kitchen as refuelling  before football training, ballet, kick boximg or marching practice witbh the ' music corps' . Sadly her savoury, bitter yet satisfying branches get overcooked when chopped and left too long in frantically boiling water of a hectic wednesday night, and she becomes a soggy accompaniment for neck chops of pig, a norwegian staple when the national dishes of Taco or Pizza Grandi' are not being served. Alternatively an equally sad fate awaits her when neglect and scorn leave her in the white walled prison in the depths of the fridge, where her flowers burst with false yellow promise and a rotten smell pervades these lower reaches of the modern larder.

There she was tonight, her and her sister, perhaps middle aged already but still with green and youthful portent of vitamins, minerals and perhaps a little crunch if i be not tardy with my attentions of boiling. I elected to base a dish around their dual majesties, and grateng of a grey, snowy winters day sprung to mind. The sweetness of melted cheese and cream a perfect complement to her most brasicas of brasicas vegetable taste.

Blanched. Or small boiled. I cut the stem in a cross to allow it to cook better. Up in a half inch of unsalted water, bring to boil, take off. Cold water over her hot flush for a minute before ahe gets the sauna treatmwnt. Short cut of accomoanyment- grate garlic a clove per head, and a half inch by quarter of ginger. Then dice that vibrant orange flesh of e squash. In butter or margaine with a table spoon of good olive oil, soften, that is fry gently over a mredium heat. Timian and tarragon Then add a good serving sppoon of flour and a couple of tea spoons of corn flour. Coat soak up the oil. Add a small amount of heated water and make the flour pasty, before watering out slowly, stirring all the time 250 ml. Add a stock cube, disolve. Then 250ml single cream, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins or when the squash bits are getting soft enough to cut with a tsable knife. I also did chicken, diced and carrot, small diced atr thw early fryi stage to make it an entire dinner.  Salt , pepprer , chilli, cayenne to taste at this point.

Cool the cooked broccoli. It should be al dente, crisp to the tooth stilln that is, place middle of an ovenproof dish, 2 inhes or so deep. Grate 200g cheese. Mix 75 g into the simmering sauce, take off the heat. Once this is melted in, pour over the broccoli. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese. Bake for 15 mins, or if the veg is fairly soft, use a strong grill until the cheese browns a bit. Rest out of the oven five mins before serving to avoid third degree burns !