Monday: sauteed potatoes and leeks, brussels sprouts

Last night's meal was driven by the contents of the fridge (i.e. "use up vegetables!").

Our main course was a layered invention with potatoes slices and garlic on the bottom, then a layer of leeks and napa cabbage, and then a layer of sharp cheese. To make it I cooked the mixture of sliced leeks and cabbage in olive oil until the leeks started to caramelize, then set them aside. I added some chopped garlic and fresh olive oil to the pan, then built a layer of boiled potato slices. I let this cook for a few minutes, then topped it with the leek mixture. When the potatoes started to form a crust and the garlic no longer smelled raw, I added the grated cheese and covered the pan until the cheese melted nicely. A minute or two more with the pan open to drive off moisture and it was ready to serve.

The brussels sprouts were very simple: I cut them in half and then cooked them in a pan with some rendered lardons, a bit of marjoram, and a pinch of salt. After the sprouts picked up some color I covered the pan, reduced the heat, and let the sprouts cook until soft.

I also baked a small hard squash (no idea of variety) that I had cut in half and deseeded. This we ate with a bit of butter, salt, and some "raclette spice mix" (various warm spices) from Coop.

Quite a nice meal.