Farmers Market Crepes with Mornay Cheese Sauce
from the kitchen of Chef Josh Kroner
I'm always trying to find new ways to make a simple plate of vegetables exciting. Being from the Hudson Valley, this is especially true in the summer, due to the incredible bounty of fresh local produce. This recipe is broken down into three parts, each of which are fairly simple. Some of the vegetables I like to use are zucchini, corn, kale, broccoli, sugar snap peas, swiss chard, onions, wild mushrooms, chiles, and bell peppers. Create your own version using your favorites.
Serves 8
One recipe (16 ounces) mornay sauce - recipe follows
8 pieces buckwheat crepes - recipe follows
4 pounds seasonal vegetables - see note above
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup white wine
To taste salt and black pepper
Prepare buckwheat crepes and mornay sauce per instructions below.
Clean all vegetables well and coarsely chop. Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic and saute briefly and then start adding the other vegetables. You are going to want to cook all the vegetable so that they still have a little crunch to them. If you use onions or mushrooms, cook them first. Then add the non-leafy vegetables, and finally the leafy vegetables so everything cooks evenly.
When all the vegetables are cooked but still slightly underdone, add the wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper. Place one crepe in the center of a plate. Put a half of a pound or so of the vegetables (you'll be filling 8 crepes) in the middle of the crepe and fold it over. You can also use two crepes per person if you prefer. Spoon 2 ounces of reserved mornay sauce over the crepe, serve immediately and enjoy your veggies!
Mornay Sauce
Mornay is a classic French sauce derived from a Bechamel. All you are going to do is make a bechamel, and add cheese. I like to use Raclette cheese from Switzerland, but you can use any easy melting cheese, such as cheddar or Swiss.
Makes 16 ounces
2 ½ tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or a little hot sauce
2 ounces grated cheese, such as Cheddar, Raclette or Gruyere
Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Add flour and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add milk while whisking and continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese and seasonings. When cheese has completely melted, remove from heat, cover and reserve.
Buckwheat crepes
Makes 15-20 crepes
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup buckwheat flour
¾ cup all purpose flour
3 ea. large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Heat an 8" non-stick saute or crepe pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking oil spray or spread some oil or butter on pan with a paper towel. You only need to do this with the first crepe, which for some reason never seems to come out well, so you will
probably sacrifice it anyway. Add 2 ounces of crepe batter to the center of the hot pan. This is best done with a 2 ounce ladle for measurement purposes. Spread the batter out evenly by tilting the pan and allow the crepe to cook until the bottom starts to brown. With a rubber spatula, free an edge of the crepe, grasp it with your fingers and flip it quickly. This is a little tricky and will take some time to master. You can dip your fingers in ice water right before, to avoid burning them. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds and slide onto a plate and repeat until all the crepes are cooked in a stack.
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