Veggie Gratin

I decided yesterday to try a variation on potatoes au gratin. I had some extra mixed fingerlings, some sour cream and some left-over evaporated milk I needed to use up. I got some additional veggies and tried an experiment. The taste was awesome, the texture a bit underdone, and haven't figured out why it was so watery yet...

Veggie Gratin
2 lb of mixed potatoes
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 large portabellos
1 lb white mushrooms
stalk of one large head of broccoli
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. veggie broth
1 c. evaporated milk
parmesan
shredded swiss cheese
1 tsp oregano
salt/pepper


Preheat oven to 350. Slice all the veggies with a mandoline or v-slicer to about 1/8" thickness. Sautee the white mushrooms in a bit of olive oil adding the garlic after the mushrooms have just started to soften. Once the mushrooms have started to release their juice, drain them and set aside to cool. Reduce the mushroom liquor to a thick syrup. Combine the sour cream, evaporated milk, broth, mushroom liquor, and oregano, mixing to combine. Season with salt and pepper, slightly undersalting. (Given how liquid this blend turned out, I might be tempted to add some corn starch or flour to this mixture). Grease a high-sided 9x13 casserole pan. Layer some potatoes (1/3), top with all the carrots, then the portabello slices. Grate some parmesan, add a handful of swiss cheese, add a bit of salt & pepper. Layer another 1/3 of the potato slices, followed by the broccoli stems, and the sauteed mushroom/garlic mixture. Again, top with some parmesan, swiss, and lightly salt/pepper. Layer the final 1/3 of the potatoes. Press down firmly on the potatoes to push out any pockets. Stir the sour cream mixture to combine, pour evenly over the layered mixture. Season with a bit of salt on top. Put into the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from oven, add parmesan and a generous amount of the swiss cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is beginning to lightly brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.