Potato Corn Chowder

My mother-in-law and her husband brought us some potatoes from Idaho last time they were in town. I've been wanting to try her Potato Corn Chowder but I couldn't get her on the phone tonight to get the recipe. I had a recipe for Summer Corn Soup I wanted to try but the corn cobs I bought had already started to mold. So this recipe is very loosely based on that. I really liked it! I knew this recipe was a keeper when I saw Bobby get up to go get seconds. He is not a huge soup fan.

Potato Corn Chowder

• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
  
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 2 cups water
• 2 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• Ground white pepper
• 4 thick bacon slices, diced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• sour cream

Preparation

• Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with salt and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes (do not let onion brown). Add potatoes, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups water, herb sprigs, bay leaf, and milk. Increase heat and bring to boil. Cover partially, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors.
• Discard herb sprigs and bay leaf. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches if necessary, puree about 2/3 of soup and add back to pot. Season soup to taste with salt and white pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Garnish

• Cook bacon in small skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Transfer to small bowl. Mix in pinch of cayenne. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Rewarm soup over medium heat. Divide among bowls. Sprinkle garnish over, top with a small dollop of sour cream, and serve.

Potato, Cucumber, and Dill Salad

Potato, Cucumber, and Dill Salad

This is so good!

2 lbs. baby red potatoes, sliced
3 1/2 Tbs. rice wine vineagr
1 1/2 Tbs country-style dijon mustard
2 Tbs olive oil
4 Tbs mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

3/4 lb. pickling cucumbers, sliced

Fresh dill sprigs

Cook potatoes in pot of boiling water until just tender. Drain.

Transfer to large bowl. Add 2 Tbs vinegar to hot potatoes and stir
gently. Combine remaining 1 1/2 Tbs vinegar and mustard in small
bowl. Gradually mix in oil and mayo. Add chopped dill. Mix into
potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made six hours ahead.
Cover; chill. Bring to room temp before serving.) Mix in cucumbers.
Garnish will dill sprigs.

German Farmer's Breakfast

Christmas Eve left me with an abundance of ham, so we've been trying out lots of ways to make use of it. This was delicious. I made a few changes, but it's pretty much the same. I just thought the recipe needed less potatoes and more eggs. Don't try and substitute for bacon grease. You'll be missing out.


German Farmer's Breakfast
adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

2 large potatoes, skinned and quartered lengthwise

3 Tbsp bacon fat or olive oil
1 cups roughly chopped green and white onions (include the greens from the green onions)
1 cups roughly chopped bell peppers
Salt to taste
1-2 cups chopped ham
1/4 cup chopped parsley
7-8 eggs, whisked

Method

1 Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water for 10-15 minutes until just cooked (test for doneness). Drain, rinse with cold water to cool. Cut into 1-inch squares. Set aside.

2 Heat 2 Tbsp bacon fat (or olive oil) in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers. Increase the heat to high. Brown the onions and bell peppers, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes.

3 Push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the potatoes and another Tbsp of bacon fat (or olive oil) to the pan. Brown the potatoes for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle on salt to taste as you cook. Add the ham to the potatoes and cook, stirring frequently until the ham is heated through, 1-2 minutes.

4 Mix all of the vegetables, potato and ham together and mix in the parsley. Add the eggs, stirring to distribute the eggs among the vegetables and ham. As soon as eggs begin to firm up, remove from heat.

Serve immediately. Great with ketchup on top.

Serves 4.

Mexican Roast Chicken

With all the holiday baking and sewing and knitting I've been doing, I haven't been spending much time planning our family dinners. So Saturday we were at Walmart and I remembered a turkey breast I had in our freezer and thought for Sunday dinner we could have turkey sandwiches. I grabbed all the stuff we'd need for dinner and late last night as we were watching "Home Alone," I remembered I had better go take the turkey out so it would have time to thaw. Turns out it was just turkey deli meat in the freezer. Oops. So I had to come up with something I could make with the ingredients we had on hand. I found a frozen whole chicken and thought we might as well roast it. It's one of my favorite Sunday meals anyway. Plus it gave me something to daydream about as I drifted off to sleep since I didn't have any fresh rosemary or thyme, which is what I typically use to flavor the bird. So I started thinking about a Mexican-inspired roast chicken. I wasn't sure I'd be able to find a recipe, so I thought I'd just make a rub for the chicken with Mexican spices and stuff the cavity with some cilantro, garlic, and limes. I'm sure that would have tasted okay, but luckily I didn't have to come up with my own recipe- I found these instead. The potatoes were a lovely accompaniment.

Oh, and I'm pretty certain any recipe that tells you to "rub the chicken liberally with salt" is not considered low-sodium. So my ring finger may be paying for this tomorrow. It's okay. Worth it.

Mexican Fusion Roasted Chicken
recipes from whatwereeating.com

1 3-4lbs whole young chicken, neck and giblets saved for another purpose
1/2 cup cilantro/parsley pesto (recipe follows)
1 lime, zest and juice for the marinade, leftover lime halves for the cavity
2 tbsp minced garlic
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In a large ziploc bag or mixing bowl combine the pesto, lime juice and zest, and garlic. Mix until thoroughly blended. Rinse the whole chicken, inside and out, under cold water then pat dry with paper towels. Add the chicken to the ziploc bag with the marinade. Rub the marinade both under and on top of the skin of the chicken, making sure to get a good coat of the marinade inside the cavity as well. Allow the chicken to marinate for 1 hour. While the chicken is marinating, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade after one hour then rub the chicken liberally with kosher salt and black pepper - again both under and on top of the skin, as well as inside the cavity. Stuff the leftover lime halves into the cavity of the chicken then place it on to a roasting pan, breast-side down. Place the roasting pan into a preheated 450 degree oven. Roast the chicken at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Continue roasting the chicken at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until an thermometer inserted into the fleshy part of the thigh reads 170 degrees. Times will vary depending on the weight of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the oven. Loosely cover the chicken with aluminum foil and allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. This chicken goes great served with extra cilantro/parsley pesto as a sauce. Enjoy!

Cilantro/Parsley Pesto

2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
juice and zest from 1 lime
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Add the garlic cloves and pine nuts to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the garlic and pine nuts until they are thoroughly minced. Add the cilantro, parsley, lime juice and zest, red wine vinegar, cumin seeds, chile powder, and red pepper flakes to the bowl of the processor. Turn the processor on low. Allow it to run for several seconds before slowly drizzling in enough olive oil while the food processor is running to create a nicely viscous pesto. After all of the olive oil has been added, season the pesto with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Mexican Roasted Potatoes- from The Nourishing Gourmet

8 medium potatoes, peeled and dice
1/3 cup of olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (plus more to sprinkle on top)
freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard

1 lime, juiced (or more to taste)

1-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2-Combine all of the ingredients, except the potatoes and lime in a jar and shake to thoroughly mix ingredients (or whisk in a bowl).

3-Pour your diced potatoes into a jelly roll pan, and toss with the oil mixture. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

4-Roast for about 40 minutes, until the potatoes are well cooked, and browning on the edges. Take out of the oven, and sprinkle the juice of one lime over it. Taste test, and add more lime juice or salt, if needed and serve.

Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Soup

I stumbled across a recipe that my friend Erin of The Sisters' Cafe brought to cooking club years ago. I remember I loved it and filed it away to use later. Well, I made it tonight for dinner and it was even better than I remember. I had to make some changes when I found that I was out of coriander and forgot to purchase cilantro. I liked it so much I may just keep making it this way!

I thought that my kids might get kick out of the bread bowls. They did, but not enough to want to eat the soup. So I spent most of my dinner hour negotiating bites with both daughters. But that's really no different than any other night. Sigh. Bobby loved it, though. I REALLY loved it. I ate about three servings! Should have bought the 1/3-less fat variety of cream cheese!

Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Soup
adapted from Erin's recipe in the 2nd SAA cookbook

1/2 large onion, chopped
2 T oil
1 jar roasted red peppers (undrained, chopped)
1 T jarred jalapeno slices, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
(erin's recipe called for 1 tsp coriander, which I had to leave out)
5 diced peeled red potatoes
32 oz. chicken broth
2 T minced Italian parsley (recipe called for cilantro
1 T lemon juice
8 oz. cream cheese

Saute onions, roasted red peppers, chilies, cumin, (coriander), and salt in oil. Cook, and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in diced potatoes and broth. Birng to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in parsley (or cilantro, if using) and lemon juice. Cool slightly. Put half of soup mixture in blender with all of the cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Return blended mixture back into the soup and reheat.

4th of July 2009

Despite unfavorable weather conditions, we still had a great 4th of July. It was the morning after Bobby's first on-call night. (Nobody died on his watch so that's good.) Franny came downstairs and asked where Daddy was. After I told her Daddy was at work, she said, "He needs to come home and go to sleep." We met up with him for a pancake breakfast at the church.

The girls and I headed to Walmart for some groceries and by the time we got home, Daddy was fast asleep. The girls spent the morning watching cartoons and playing while I prepared some 4th of July food for the Wilson's BBQ that night. I made the creamiest lime meringue pie and a Dill Potato Salad. (recipe below)

We watched the shortest parade I've ever seen- and that's not necessarily a bad thing- and the kids were able to collect some free candy and SWAG.

Apparently this is Sophie's "pretty face" because that's what I asked her for when I took this picture.

Mad dash to catch the parachutes. Franny loved watching the fireworks.

And Franny's Daddy loved lighting the fireworks.

Especially these.

Potato, Cucumber and Dill Salad adapted from Bon Appétit | July 1992

Yield: Serves 4

2 pounds baby red potatoes, sliced
3 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons country-style Dijon mustard
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3/4 pound pickling cucumbers, sliced
Fresh dill sprigs

Cook potatoes in pot of boiling water until just tender. Drain. Transfer to large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar to hot potatoes and stir gently. Combine remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, mayo, oil, and mustard in small bowl. Add chopped dill. Mix into potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Mix in cucumbers. Garnish with dill sprigs.

Potato Leek Soup

Delicious! Served these with parmesan toasts- also from Ina's new cookbook.

Roasted Potato Leek Soup
Serves 6 to 8

From "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics," by Ina Garten

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (4 leeks)
1/4 cup good olive oil
-- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed (I used frozen spinach actually, thawed and drained)
1/2 cup dry white wine + extra for serving
6 to 7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces creme fraiche (I used sour cream, since I can't creme fraiche in my area)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + extra for garnish
-- Crispy Shallots, optional (see recipe)
Instructions: Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine the potatoes and leeks on a pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40-45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4-5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over two burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, cream fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and the Parmesan cheese. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan cheese and Crispy Shallots, if using.


Crispy Shallots (I didn't make these because I forgot to buy shallots at the store, but I bet they would have tasted wonderful!)
Makes about 1/2 cup


1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 6 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings
Instructions: Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220° on a candy thermometer.

Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are a rich golden brown. The temperature should stay below 260 degrees. Stir the shallots occasionally to make sure they brown evenly. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well and spread out to cool on paper towels. Once they have dried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered, for several days

It's fricken good

Our beloved husband and father left us tonight to go do a rotation in St. Louis. Boo. I wanted to make him a really special meal as a send-off so he'd know how much we'll all miss him. I've been wanting an excuse to make fried chicken and recognized a good opportunity. I once saw this episode on Food Network of one of Bobby Flay's cooking shows and he made this for his girlfriend. It made my mouth water watching him prepare and eat those buttermilk biscuits. Buttermilk is one of my favorite ingredients. I just love what it does for cakes and scones. It seemed appropriate to serve ice cold IBC root beer as a beverage with this meal. I served them to my family (even my almost 2-year old) in the bottles and they were a big hit with my kids. They weren't at all interested in the rest of the meal, but since I was okay with my children having root beer for dinner on Bobby's last night at home for a while, there were no fights at the dinner table tonight.




The girls may not have enjoyed the food, but Bobby and I were pleased with it.





Fried Chicken

1 quart buttermilk, plus 2 cups
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder, or 2 tablespoons hot sauce, plus 2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder, or cayenne pepper
2 chickens (3 to 4 pounds each), each cut up into 8 pieces
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Peanut oil, for deep-frying

In a large bowl or baking dish, whisk together 1 quart of the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt, 2 teaspoons of chile de arbol powder, or hot sauce, and a little bit of pepper, if desired. Add the chicken pieces, turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Place the remaining 2 cups of buttermilk in a bowl. Stir together the flour, garlic and onion powders, paprika, and 2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder (or cayenne) in a large bowl. Divide flour mixture among 2 shallow platters and season generously with salt and pepper. Drain the chicken in a colander and pat it dry. Dredge the pieces a few at a time in the flour mixture and pat off excess, then dip in the buttermilk and allow excess to drain off. Dredge in the second plate of flour and pat off the excess. Put the chicken pieces on a piece of waxed paper or on a clean platter while you heat the oil.

Pour about 3 inches of oil into a deep cast iron skillet; the oil should not come more than halfway up the sides of the pot. Put the pot over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, 3 or 4 at a time and fry, turning the pieces occasionally, until evenly golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a rack to drain; repeat to cook the remaining pieces. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Mashed Potatoes

2 large russet potatoes
butter
milk
salt
pepper

Wash potatoes and peel. Cut into large chunks (1 1/2 - 2 inch pieces). Put in large pot of warm, salted water and bring to a boil. Once the water reaches a boil, set your timer for 15 minutes. If the potatoes don't quite feel soft after 15 minutes, let it keep going for 2 or 3 more. Drain potatoes. Pour potatoes back into pot and mash with a potato masher. (Or if you have one, use a food mill like Ina does.) While you're mashing those potatoes and giving them everything you've got, add 3 or 4 Tbs of butter and a few teaspoons of salt and some generous shakes with your black pepper. Heat a small amount of milk (1/2 cup?) in your microwave. Add your milk a little at a time with a whisk and mix until you reach your desired consistency. Add more salt, pepper, butter to taste. Mmmmm......

Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes about 15

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 cups buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (French nonstick baking mat) or parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
2. Transfer about 2 1/2 cups flour mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add butter, and pulse until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Return butter mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture. Use your fingers to combine.
3. Add buttermilk, and stir just until mixture comes together; the batter will be sticky. Transfer to lightly floured work surface; use floured fingers to pat dough to 1-inch thickness. Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut biscuits as close together as possible to minimize scraps. Gather scraps together once, pat together and flatten, and cut out.
4. Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet; bake until lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Sequence of events: I started out with the potatoes. I washed, peeled, and cut them and placed them in the water and turned on the heat. Then I set out to make the biscuits. I mixed the dough, cut out the biscuits, and placed them in the oven since they need 20 minutes. By the time I was finishing up with the biscuits, the potatoes were ready for mashing. I prepared them in the pot I boiled them in and put the lid on to trap the heat. Then, while the biscuits were baking, I got ready to fry the chicken. It wasn't until this point that I realized that each chicken piece needs to boil for 20 minutes. It all worked out fine, we had enough chicken to get the meal started and the potatoes and biscuits were still warm, but next time I would start the chicken-frying a good 20 minutes earlier.

Still tossing 'em back!

St. Patrick's Day

Surprise your family this year on St. Patrick's Day with a traditional corned beef brisket! Serve it with a horseradish cream. (Whip some heavy whipping cream and fold in a tablespoon or two of horseradish.) I love this dish. My Mom made it for us almost every year on St. Patrick's Day. She would serve it with cabbage, boiled potatoes, and sometimes even Irish soda bread. (Incidentally I never really cared for Irish soda bread. I always serve rolls.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (5 1/2 pound) corned beef brisket
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice
• 1 large orange, sliced in rounds
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 6 tablespoons margarine, divided (except I used butter. I hate margarine. YUCK!)
  
• 1 large head cabbage, cored and sliced
• 1 cup Golden Delicious apples, cored and quartered with peel
• 1/4 cup cold water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a 9x13 inch roasting pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough extra extending over the sides to cover and seal in the roast.
2. Rinse the brisket, and pat dry. Rub with pickling spice, and place in the prepared roasting pan. Arrange celery, orange and onion slices on and around the roast. Pour in 1/2 cup of water, and wrap aluminum foil up over the roast tightly, making sure the ends are sealed.
3. Bake for about 4 hours in the preheated oven, or until meat is tender.
4. About 45 minutes before the roasts time is up, heat 3 tablespoons of margarine and 1/4 cup of water in a large pot. Add cabbage and apples, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Occasionally shake the pot so that nothing sticks to the bottom. Serve with remaining margarine and sliced corned beef.

I was in the mood for something way more naughty that boiled potatoes, so we had Ina's parmesan smashed potatoes instead:

3 pounds red new potatoes, unpeeled
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 2 teaspoons
1 cup half and half
1/4 pound unsalted unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepperPlace the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt in a 4-quart saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered for 30 to 45 minutes, until completely tender. Drain.

In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix the potatoes for a few seconds to break them up. In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half and butter. Add them slowly to the potatoes, mixing on the lowest speed. The last quarter of the cream should be folded in by hand. Fold in the sour cream, Parmesan, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

I always love to serve a dessert that to me is the epitome of comfort food. Desserts that fall into this category for me are as follows: rice pudding (Lion House recipe), bread pudding with vanilla sauce, and Magleby's buttermilk pie. I am such a dessert tease. You suckers are going to have to be satisfied just looking at this pie because I can't give out the recipe! I got it from a member of the Magleby family and I don't feel like it's mine to give out. It's delicious. A homemade pie crust filled with a cake-like buttermilk filling, topped with a lot of raspberries and whipped cream.

Vegetable Tian

This vegetable recipe is so good, I would almost call it a dessert. It is so delicious! I don't make it that much because it seems a little too labor-intensive for a side dish, but it is worth it!

Good olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled
3/4 pound zucchini
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, gratedPreheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.