Potato and Celeriac Purée

Well, folks, without much further ado, here it is: Julie's phenomenal corn bread casserole recipe that has been delighting the whole Nyberg family for many years:

Corn Bread Casserole

Ingredients:

2 large onions, chopped
6 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
2 (17-oz) cans cream-style corn
2 (1/2-lb.) pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix
1/2 pint dairy sour cream (1 cup)
2 cups shredded sharp cheese cheddar cheese (8 oz.)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F ( 220 degrees C). In a medium skillet sauté the onion in butter until golden. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix eggs and milk until blended. Add corn muffin mix. Mix well. Spread corn bread batter into greased 13' X 9" baking dish. Spoon sautéed onion over top. Spread sour cream over onion. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 35 minutes or until puffed and golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Hey, you've done it! Yum and enjoy!!

A Potato-Fennel Gratin Fit Enough For Company

The best-tasting potatoes–obviously–can be had in fall when they're harvested and the stores are brimming with a large variety of different kinds and sizes. I made the following recipe for a potato-fennel gratin tonight for guests and it was a hit with everyone. The recipe is almost exactly taken from Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

Potato-Fennel Gratin

Ingredients:

2 fennel bulbs

1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. pure olive oil

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 pounds potatoes (russet or Yukon Gold)

2 cups heavy cream

2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (1/2 lb.)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F and butter an 9x13-inch casserole dish. Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise. Sauté the fennel and the onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat until tender.

Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly, about 1/8 inch thick. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt and pepper. Add the sautéed fennel and onion and mix well.

Pour mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Sprinkle the top with about 1/2 cup of grated Gruyère. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned nicely. Allow a few minutes to cool and set before serving.

The recipe makes about 10 servings and can be made days ahead of time and reheated at 350˚F for about 30 minutes. (Let the gratin come to room temperature before reheating. If not, the time for reheating needs to be increased.)

Leek and Potato Soup

Leek and potato soup smells good, tastes good, and is simplicity itself to make.

(Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

It seems to me that we've had a lot of rich meals lately, so when I went to grocery store today and saw really great-looking leeks in the produce section, I knew instantly that I wanted to make a batch of leek-and-potato soup for dinner. Two humble vegetables simmered together…creating wonderful smells in the kitchen and an all-around satisfying meal. I could almost taste it. Yum! I bought three beautiful leeks and started happily chopping away when I arrived back home.

Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

3 large leeks, white parts only, sliced, washed and dried

1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced

2 Tbsp. butter

6 cups water

1 to 1 1/2 tsp. salt

freshly milled pepper

2-4 Tbsp. heavy cream (optional)

chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation:

Melt butter in a soup pot, add leeks and potatoes and cook covered over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 6 cups of water and 1+ tsp. of salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

When done, purée the soup in a blender or right in the pot, using a stick blender. Adjust seasonings and stir in a little heavy whipping cream to make the soup a little richer in color and in taste. Top with a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley when serving. This makes the soup not only look more presentable, but enhances its flavor since potato and parsley always pair nicely.

By the way, when using organic potatoes, I sometimes leave the skin on. The flavor and look of the soup will be more rustic. The soup can be completed with a salad and a loaf of crusty bread.