This is a tomato & potato gratin or a tomahto & potahto gratiné.

Do you say tomato or tomohto, potato or potahto, gratiné or gratin…let’s call the whole thing off.

It’s interesting how people can speak the same language, but use different words for the same thing or pronounce them differently.  I guess that is a dialect?

For example when I first moved to Oklahoma and went out to rent some movies.  I went up to the clerk to checkout and she asks me, “Would you like a sack?”

I looked at her perplexed, thinking she said sock, I said, “Um….no.”

Then after an awkward moment of silence I looked at her and said, “Um….can I get a bag?”

That is when I learned that in Oklahoma a bag is a sack.  What do you think when you hear the word sack?  I think dusty burlap potato bag. I still have not acclimated to the Okie lingo.  I still say bag for sack and when I order a soda I always say Coke.  That is the 7 years I spent in Georgia talking there.  It doesn’t matter if your drinking Sprite or Orange Crush it’s all Coke.  It can get confusing.

After all my years living in different areas of the U.S., working with people from all around the world and speaking two languages I have a plethora of stories regarding miscommunication

For these purposes I will refer to the following as Tomato & Potato Gratiné.

I had some leeks, potatoes and beautiful cherry tomatoes from the farmer’s market and I knew I had to do something with them.  I wanted something with a semblance of comfort food but still reminiscent of summer.  Tomato and potato gratiné it was!

First I cheated and used a mandolin to thinly slice a leek.  Careful not to slice my finger tips in the process.   Transfer the sliced leeks to a colander and rinse under water, making sure to clean off all dirt.

In a skillet over medium-high heat drizzle 1 Tbs of olive oil, add the sliced leeks and toss to coat in olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt to taste and let them cook, stirring occasionally.

Continue to cook until they are wilted and starting to caramelize.

This step is optional.  I do it because OB says doesn’t like, “Strings of stuff in my food.”

To avoid complaints I chopped the leeks up till they almost resembled a paste.

While the leeks are cooking, thinly slice one large russet potato.  I cheated again by using a mandolin.  If you are slicing with a knife do you best to get them as thin as possible.

Put the potatoes in a bowl of heavy cream to soak.

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.

In a bowl combine halved tomatoes, leeks and 2 tbs of flour.

Mix until well combined.

Can I tell you a secret?  I love gruyère cheese.  I love it’s mild flavor and how it pairs so well with fruit.  Tomato is a fruit no?  Perfect!

“If you love it so much why don’t you marry it?”

“I would but I am already married, doo doo head!”  😛

I have a stockpile of tools in my kitchen but for some unexplained reason I do not have a box grater.  The only thing that I have that resembles a grater is a microplane and that wasn’t going to work for these purposes.  So I used a vegetable peeler to “grate” the cheese.

Butter a baking dish about 2 inches deep and 12 inches long.  Lay a layer of sliced potatoes, slightly overlapping, on the bottom of the dish.

Top the potato layer with the tomato mixture.

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the tomato mixture.

Top with another layer of potato slices, drizzle 2 tbs of cream over top.

Cover with foil and bake in an hot oven at 350 degrees, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

While the gratiné is in the oven, prepare the topping.

Put  a handful of your favorite potato chips in a plastic resealable bag.

BEAT IT! Beat it until diminished into sad little crumbs of potato chips, about 1/2 cup.  Release some of that agression.

In a bowl combine potato chip crumbs with 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs.

Combine with 3 tbs of melted butter.

When the potatoes are tender, remove foil, top with remaining cheese, sprinkle with fresh thyme and crumb mixture.

Bake for another 15 – 25 minutes, until brown and bubbly.

Hello lover?

You come here often?

Want to have some fried chicken sometime? I know where we can find some really good fried chicken.

Fried chicken isn’t your bag?  Maybe a sassy fresh salad?

Maybe we can have some alone time? *wink, wink*

Is it possible to catch me hiding in the pantry scarfing down a giant plate of tomato and potato gratiné?  You bet!

I made this for dinner for my sister-in-law and my sister-in-law’s sister.

Which is my brother-in-law’s wife’s sister.

Which is my husband’s brother’s wife’s sister.

Ok I’m done.

Anyway, they both went back for seconds.

The tomatoes with mild gruyère, creamy potatoes and crispy potato chip topping.  HI OHHHH!  It was absolutely heavenly!