The lavender adds a hint of interesting flavor to ordinary au gratin potatoes, but even if you don’t have lavender, try this good recipe. The potatoes can be seasoned with other herbs of your choice.

6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers, ground or crushed
1/4 cup flour
3 ½ cups fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
dash paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish.

In a large saucepan, cook sliced potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat butter. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and lavender flowers. Cook 1 minute. Add flour and stir to mix. Add milk all at once and cook over medium heat while stirring constantly. Cook until mixture boils and thickens. Add white pepper and cheese. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add extra milk if sauce is too thick.

Place one-half of the potatoes in baking dish. Cover with half of the sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil cover and continue to cook another 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender and sauce is bubbly. (The timing will depend on how tender the potatoes were hen placed in the baking pan.)

Serves 6

Nutritional Information per serving:

Calories: 225
Fat, gm.: 11
Protein, gm.: 26
Carbs, gm.: 25
Cholesterol, mg.: 1.7
Fiber, gm.: 8