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I don't want to die with a bunch of extra stuff in the house, so I am looking at all my cookbooks with an eye to donating the marginal ones to the library book sale.
Right now I am considering whether I need to keep "New England Cooking" by Jane Putnam Smith.
This sounds like a robust version of potatoes au gratin. I think it might be good made with cauliflower instead of potatoes.
Potatoes with Mustard Sauce
4 large new potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup light cream
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Bread crumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter
Scrub the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Simmer in salted water for about 30 minutes. While the potatoes simmer, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and saute the onion in it until transparent but not brown. Stir in the flour, broth, and cream. Continue to stir slowly until evenly blended. Raise the heat slightly, until the mixture begins to boil, and stir in the mustard (be careful not to cook it so hard it separates). When the mustard is fully blended into the sauce, remove from the heat and keep warm over a pot of simmering water. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain the potatoes and spread them in layers in a casserole dish, seasoning each layer with a slight dusting of salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the potatoes. Combine the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle generously over the top. Dot with 3 tablespoons butter and bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and bubbly. Makes 6 servings.
Green Peas and New Potatoes
1/4 pound sliced salt pork or bacon
2 small onions, chopped
8 small new potatoes
2 cups cooked peas
1 cup heavy cream
Fry the salt pork or bacon until crisp. Remove it to drain on a paper towel. Cook the onions in the bacon fat until lightly browned. Scrub but do not peel the potatoes and place them in a saucepan. Add the pork or bacon, the onions, and just enough cold water to cover. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove the pork or bacon, and add the peas. Pour the cream over the vegetables and simmer until well blended and heated through. Do not let it boil.
This dish is traditionally served with poached salmon on the Fourth of July.
