I had good intentions. But the mushrooms forced my hand… And I am so glad they did!
I rarely buy mushrooms because Martin hates them (little slugs) and I don’t love them. I don’t know what possessed me five days ago to purchase some pre-sliced button mushrooms…OK, I wanted to use them on a sandwich… Since my purchase, I have been pondering how to make the most of these wonderful tasting fungi. Finally, I found a recipe that used them as a layer in a potato and tomato casserole with the hope that the other ingredients in the dish would fool Martin into eating it.
To my dismay, out of the blue tub tumbled slimy little slugs. Ew. Time for plan B.
So, this casserole is built in layers. The first layer is a thinly sliced yellow potato with pepper and a little veggie broth to help it cook.
The second layer is a lightly sautéed vegetable medley. It was supposed to be mostly mushrooms. Instead, I added extra onion and garlic, banana peppers from my friend’s garden (thanks Stef!), and a couple carrots. Some bell peppers would have been really good in this medley too.
The third layer is a lovely fresh tomato. Need I say more.
Finally, after the whole thing has baked for about 20 minutes (yes, I turned on my oven in August…) I added some monterey jack cheese and some fresh dill. After a few more minutes of baking, the whole deliciously cheesy, peppery casserole was finished.
The mushroom failure actually saved this dish. I loved the addition of the sweet banana peppers and carrots. And the cheese on the top really made the dish come together. Serve it with some garlic toast, and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal!
Today was also our CSA delivery day! Let me entice you with our lot.
Tomatillos! Salsa anyone?! And, yes, for those of you who are vacationing with me in a couple of days, I’m bringing these babies with me.
Parsley root. Who knew? I wonder what I’ll use this for…
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1 medium onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 banana peppers
- 2 carrots
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 medium potato
- 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1 medium tomato
- 3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (to taste)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Thinly slice the onion and finely chop the garlic. Heat the oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat and add the onion and garlic. Slice the peppers and carrots. Add them to the pan along with the oregano. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Halve the potato lengthwise, and then slice it as thinly as possible. Lightly oil a casserole dish and layer the potato slices along the bottom. Pour the broth over the potatoes. Then sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
- Spread the pepper mixture over the potatoes.
- Halve the tomato, and then slice it as thinly as possible. Layer it over the pepper mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes (potatoes should be done by this time).
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese and fresh dill weed over the tomatoes. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Yummy! I can’t wait to taste your next creation! Yea for vacation!
Ulrika
Me too! Those tomatillos are going to be dangerously delicious!