Deborah Madison is a renowned vegetarian chef, teacher and author of 9 cookbooks. I bought Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone back in 1997 when it was first published and until this day it remains one of my favorite cookbooks. Her recipes are accessible and most of the ingredients can be easily found at your local grocery store.
Thinly sliced potatoes are simmered in milk, along with herbs, garlic and leeks until they are barely tender. A portion of the milk will be used in the gratin and the leftover milk, well flavored by the herbs, garlic and leeks and thickened with potato starch can be used as a soup base (I use the leftover milk in corn chowder).
Potatoes are layered and sprinkled with leeks, garlic, cheese, white pepper and nutmeg. A cup or so of the milk used to simmer the potatoes is added back into the gratin.
Potato & Leek Gratin
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
Serves 6
Updated 1/16/16 – Increased cheese from 1 1/2 – 2 cups
Ingredients
1 garlic clove and butter for the dish
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (I use my Benriner and make 1/8 inch thick slices)
4 cups milk (I use half whole and half 2% milk and save any leftovers to make corn chowder)
1 bay leaf
3 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 pinches dried
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
salt and freshly milled white pepper
nutmeg
2 cups grated cheese (The recipe calls for Gruyere and suggests variations such as Fontina or Cheddar)
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rub an 8 x 11 inch gratin dish with the garlic, then with butter, coating well.
Put the potatoes in a pot with the milk, bay leaf, thyme, sliced garlic, leeks and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are barely tender but not to the point of falling apart (about 6 – 7 minutes). Discard the bay leaf and thyme. Drain the milk into a separate bowl.
Make a single layer of potatoes, scatter some of the leeks and garlic over the potatoes and season lightly with freshly ground white pepper, a little nutmeg, and cover lightly with cheese. Repeat until all the potatoes and cheese are used up, ending with a layer of cheese. Add enough milk to come up to the last layer of potatoes, about 1 – 1 1/2 cups. Dot with the butter then bake until a golden crust has formed on top, about 50 minutes.
Artichokes are curious little veggies. With thorny leaves and not much to eat, one wonders why so much time is spent fussing over them let alone the 45 minutes it typically takes to cook them. But there’s something quite special about dipping those little leaves into a bowl of garlic infused melted butter or homemade mayonnaise. And once picked bare, you’re rewarded with a delicious meaty artichoke heart.
Light and crunchy baguette with lemongrass tofu, thinly sliced cucumber, carrot and daikon pickles (do chua) and lots of cilantro. It’s one of my favorite sandwiches. 
