Broccoli-Cauliflower Mornay

These lightly-steamed vegetables coated in a white cheddar mornay sauce and baked under a crusty topping is an old standby of my good friend Andrew, and it's a wonderful way to use up broccoli or cauliflower that's gone a little past the peak of freshness. The use of white cheddar cheese and whole wheat flour as well as the addition of lemon juice are slight departures from the classic mornay sauce, but they definitely enhance the flavours of the vegetables — and the browned parmesan-cornmeal-nut topping is worth licking off the plate.

This recipe makes quite a lot, but it can easily be halved using only the broccoli or the cauliflower.

Broccoli-cauliflower mornay

1 large head broccoli, cut into florettes and sliced and pared stems
1 large head cauliflower, cut into florettes
1 large potato, chopped
2 carrots, sliced

Cheddar mornay sauce:

½ cup butter
10 tablespoons whole wheat flour
4 cups milk
2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
juice of 2 large lemons

Topping:

2 tablespoons butter
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup chopped cashews, almonds or pine nuts
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Steam the vegetables in batches until just tender (about 7 minutes for the broccoli and cauliflower, about 9 minutes for the potatoes and carrots). Drain each batch and place in a large baking dish. Mix the vegetables once they're finished.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Meanwhile, prepare the mornay sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until the sauce thickens. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until it melts. Season with salt, black pepper and lemon juice. Pour over the vegetables.

To prepare the topping, melt the butter in another saucepan and stir in the cormeal, chopped nuts and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the topping over the vegetables and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until heated through and the topping is golden brown.

Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 8 - 12.