French Style Baked Leek & Zucchini

Ingredients

• 3 leeks (white and pale green parts only, washed and soaked thoroughly)
• 5 zucchini
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (for greasing)
• 1 small French shallot/eshalot (finely diced)
• 4 garlic cloves (finely minced)
• 50 ml milk
• 300 ml light cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• ⅓ cup grated Gruyère cheese or cheddar-style cheese
• 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese (to finish)
• Crusty bread of choice, to serve

Directions

• Preheat oven to 190°C.
• Trim the roots and dark green tops from the leeks. Wash and soak thoroughly to remove any dirt. Wash your zucchini and top and tail as needed.
• Lightly grease a baking dish with the olive oil.
• Cut the leeks and zucchini into even approximately 3 cm rounds. Arrange upright in the baking dish, alternating the leek and zucchini and packing them snugly together. Season the tops generously with salt and cracked black pepper.
• Mix together the shallot, garlic, milk, light cream, Dijon mustard, Gruyère, thyme and nutmeg. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Pour the sauce evenly over the vegetables.
• Cover and bake for 60 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is bubbling and golden.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan and chives, then rest for 5 minutes before serving with crusty bread.

Recipe from mynutritioncreative.com (@mynutritioncreative).