Buy maincrop potatoes rather than new for this recipe. Maris Piper is particularly good for mashing, or you could use Desiree, recognisable by its red skin. Cotswold cheese, a mixture of Double Gloucester cheese and chives, gives a lovely flavour to the crispy potato topping.
SERVES 4
900 g (2 lb) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh milk
100 g (4 oz) Cotswold or Cheddar cheese, grated
50 g (2 oz) butter
salt and pepper
450 g (1 lb) leeks, trimmed, sliced and washed
1 large red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
450 g (1 lb) courgettes, thickly sliced
225 g (8 oz) button mushrooms
10 ml (2 tsp) mild paprika
25 g (1 oz) plain wholemeal flour
300 ml (1/2 pint) vegetable stock
1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 15 - 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash with the milk, half the cheese and half the butter. Season to taste.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter in a large saucepan and fry the leeks and pepper for 4 - 5 minutes, until softened. Add the courgettes, mushrooms and paprika and fry for a further 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle in the flour, then gradually add the stock and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Spoon the vegetable mixture into an ovenproof serving dish and cover evenly with the cheesy potato. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 200°C
(400°F) mark 6 for 20 - 25 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden brown.
