In praise of a hardworking freezer

Freezer jolly good fellow

In my bachelor world, my freezer is generally well stocked, literally. Stocks of various kinds, my beautiful all-purpose tomato salsa, a meal or two ready to go. And bags of frozen vegetables.

Yes! I admit it.

This is a bachelor food blog after all - not a stuck-up fine dining blog (although I do think my dining is fine…)

I do not plate: I dish out! I do not partake: I chow down!

Having freezy things handy, enabled me to whip up a very well received veg casserole for my boys last night between school finishing and evening trumpet lessons. And it kind of went like this…

Potato-layered vegetable casserole

(I dedicate this to my niece, Lauren, who has been a vegetarian for years and for whom, as a very thoughtful fishing expedition snack, I produced several pieces of lovingly purchased roast chicken)

Ingredients

• 3 medium Desiree potatoes
• 500g frozen winter vegetables
• 1 cup all purpose tomato salsa
• .25 cup vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (aka the Empire in a bottle!)
• .25 cup grated parmesan or other sharp cheese
• Pinch smokey paprika
• Olive oil, salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 160º

Wash and thinly slice potatoes, leaving the peel on. Place these in salted, boiling water for about 5 minutes. You want them to soften, but retain their shape. The time will depend on how thinly they are sliced. I use my hand V-slicer, which I love! Drain the potatoes when done - don’t cover, it’s important to let them steam off.

Toss the frozen veggies (don’t let them thaw) together with the salsa, sauce and stock.

Oil a deep baking dish.

Starting with a layer of potato, a drizzle of olive oil, a little pepper. Then the veggie mix. And so on.

Top it off with a couple of layers of potato. Sprinkle with cheese and finish with paprika.

Place in oven for 30 mins. Raise heat to 200º and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the potato topping gets brown and crispy.

Serves 4 as an accompaniment, 3 as a main.