Breakfast Strata with Beet Greens and Gruyere

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 your leftover day-old French baguette, cut into 16 1/2-inch rounds
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
6 large eggs
leafy greens from 3 large beets, washed thoroughly and chopped, stems removed
1 onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
6 oz. (2 cups) grated Gruyere cheese
2 oz. grated Parmesan
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp brandy (optional)
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1 bottle Maredsous 10 Tripel from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV

1) Heat the oven to 225 and bake bread slices in a single layer until completely dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, flipping them midway through baking time. Don't skip this step--it's vital to the texture.
2) Heat 2 tbsp. of the oil in a skillet and saute the onion and garlic until translucent.
3) Add chopped beet greens, season, and cook until just wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Place greens in a small mixing bowl when finished cooking and set aside. Some water will likely accumulate in the bowl--drain this, pressing greens with a spoon or spatula.
4) Oil the inside of a casserole dish with remaining olive oil.
5) Arrange half the bread slices in a single layer. Cover with half the beet greens, then half the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, greens, and cheese.
6) Whisk eggs in a bowl; then incorporate 1 tsp. salt, pepper to taste, Dijon mustard, half-and-half, and the brandy if desired. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the fridge overnight weighted down with a box of sugar, bag of flour, heavy plate, etc. Don't skip this step either.
7) In the morning, let the dish stand at room temperature for at least half an hour, while heating the oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top, then bake strata until puffed and golden, 50-55 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
8) Open bottle of Maredsous 10.
9) Enjoy together.

THE BEER:
One of Gabe's favorite beers, and one of mine as well, we got turned on to this sucker when I worked at the glorious Markt restaurant, which served (and still does today) only Belgian imports. What a great beer this is, and if you're having a festive brunch (I firmly believe that stratas require the presence of houseguests), what could be better than drinking a delicious, yeasty, pear-and-passion fruit nosed, 10% alcohol brew? Maredsous 10 is a little bit lighter in viscosity than you get from many other Belgian tripel styles, and a few people tend to take exception to this, but I think it's an asset. You get some caramel in the mouthfeel, but the alcohol is never present and it doesn't veer (as a few of these do) toward wondering after a sip whether you'll ever taste anything else again.

THE GLORY OF STRATAS:
So long as you follow the directions for the custard, which is based on a template from Cook's Illustrated (www.cooksillustrated.com), you can put literally anything you want in a strata. Cheddar. Asparagus. Ham. Shrimp. Smoked salmon. Red bell pepper. Herbs. Sausage. Snausage. Velveeta. Leftover roasted veggies. Pesto. Shrooms. Marijuana. Sky's the limit, kids.

THE HOUSEGUESTS:
Look who was here when we made strata! Josh and Brian! Hooray! We wandered around Christmas shopping and ate many, many Corner Bistro Burgers (pictured--finest burger in NYC, in our opinion), and sang songs with the hilarious piano player at one of the last, best, and oldest piano bars in the Village (Duplex), and generally made merry. Can't wait to visit them in Seattle, and cruise Pike's Place grabbing fresh things for Josh to cook for us.