45 min / 1 hour

 serve 6

 

2lb (1kg) potatoes (waxy potatoes such as pink fir apple, russet)

1 or 2 cloves garlic, mashed

2 oz butter

2 cups (50cl) whole milk

5 oz (160g) French or Swiss Gruyère cheese

1 pint double cream

Salt and pepper

 Preheat oven to 360ºF (180 ºC). Slice the potatoes into thin slices (1/8 inch thick). Rinse in cold water. Drain and dry in a towel

 

Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with milk. Add salt

 

Bring to the boil starting at moderate heat for 5 minutes then low heat for 10 minutes. Stir from time to time.

 

Rub a fireproof dish with garlic and grease it well with butter. Transfer half of the potatoes in the gratin dish. Add half the cheese, double cream and pepper to the layer. Put the second half of the potatoes and cover with the cheese and double cream left.

 

Put the dish in the oven and cook for 1 hour at 360ºF (180 ºC). Gratin Dauphinois is ready when the top is gold and brown.

 

Wine suggestion: Red Bordeaux wine or Beaujolais Villages, not too dry white wine (French Wine Guide).

 30 min / 45 min

 

 

Ingredients

1 lb eggplant

1 lb zucchini (courgette)

4 tb olive oil

1/2 lb yellow onions

2 garlic cloves

1 lb tomatoes, firm and ripe

3 tb parsley

Salt and pepper

serve 6)

 

Peel and cut the eggplant into 3 inches long slices. Cut the zucchini into slices but don't peel. Place those vegetables in a bowl, cover with water and let rest for 30 minutes. Drain.

 

Sauté the eggplant and zucchini with olive oil in a skillet. One minute on each side. Set aside.

 

Cook the onions with olive oil in the same skillet for 10 minutes over moderate heat. Stir in the garlic and add salt and pepper.

 

Peel the tomatoes and boil for 30 seconds. Cut into slices. Lay them over the onions in the skillet. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Uncover. Pour the juice from the the skillet over the tomatoes. Raise heat and boil for several minutes until juice has almost entirely evaporated.

 

 Put a third of the tomatoes mixture in the bottom of a casserole. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parsley. Then put half of the eggplant and zucchini. Then the second third of tomatoes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parsley. Put the remaining eggplant and zucchini, then the tomatoes and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parsley.

 

 Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, pour the juice over the vegetables. Add salt and pepper if needed. Raise heat to moderate and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Pour the juice during the process several times over the vegetables.

 

Serve hot or cold.

 

Wine suggestion: Rosé Cotes de Provence