Mandoline Potatoes

This dish is a bit like scalloped potatoes without the cheese, and with the addition of other vegetables. A few years ago, I bought a mandoline, and it has changed my potato life. Before I owned one, I had to boil the sliced potatoes before adding them to the scalloped potatoes dish because otherwise they wouldn't soften enough. Well, now, I slice them on the mandoline, and they are so nice and thin that they cook up just beautifully without pre-cooking. The amounts for this dish depend on how much you want.

Sauté chopped onions, zucchini, garlic, peppers or any other vegetables you enjoy in olive oil. While they are cooking, grease a 9x13 pan and peel potatoes. Slice them on the mandoline, and cover the bottom of the pan. When the veggies are cooked, put some on top of the potatoes, and continue alternating layers. Dot the top with butter. You don't have to do this, but it adds such a nice flavor. Cover with tin foil and bake in preheated 390º F. oven. Why it isn't 400º, I don't know. I just put it at 390º the first time, and have continued. After the potatoes have softened, remove the tin foil, and turn temp down to 350º until the vegetables have browned to your liking. This is so delicious, and you can vary it each time by your choice of vegetables to go with the potato.

For this year's Thanksgiving dinner, I sautéed our garden onions (frozen), shallots, and zucchini (frozen).

We traveled an hour, met our son, and had our Thanksgiving with our dear friend Susy, her son and his family, and her granddaughter. The foods which delighted me were sliced, cooked carrots with peas, and topped with fresh parsley; and Susy's cranberries:

12 oz. package cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Bring to a boil, and then simmer a few minutes. I love cranberries this way rather than the wiggly kind.

There were many pies, blueberry, pecan, pumpkin, and lemon meringue; the lemon being my particular favorite.