How many times do we buy something, fresh produce for instance, only to toss it a week or two (or five or six) later because we never got around to eating it? I like to think that we eat fairly healthy here in our home, not much meat but lots of fresh veggies, whole grains and such, but I do admit that like most American families we throw away too much food. And the nation-wide statistics on the matter are quite staggering. Anyhoo, tonight was one of those "what in the world can I make for dinner" nights... I had some small zucchini in the fridge that needed to be eaten, so on a whim I created what I like to call a "use it or lose it" dinner. In other words, if we didn't use the zucchini, it was gonna go to waste in another couple of days. So what did I make? It was some pretty yummy scalloped potatoes with zucchini and onions, with some steamed corn and green beans on the side. Rich ate two plates full, so I do believe it was a success. "Waste not, want not," is that what they say? And now the zucchini is in our bellies rather than the trash. Yay! Here's the recipe: SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH ZUCCHINI & ONIONS
4 small zucchini squash, thinly sliced
4 medium red-skinned potatoes, quartered and thinly sliced
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cube butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
1 cup cheddar-jack cheese, finely grated
salt & pepper to taste
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Place zucchini, potatoes, onions and garlic into prepared dish, stir to combine. Melt butter in saucepan over medium flame. Add flour, whisk to combine, and cook for two to three minutes while continuing to whisk. Add milk & cheese and stir until smooth. Season to taste. Pour sauce over vegetables. Top with toasted breadcrumbs if desired, and dot with a little additional butter if desired (and I was desirous to do both, thank you very much, which gave a lovely crisp topping to the dish). Bake for approximately one hour or until veggies are tender and top is golden brown. Serve warm.
