Howdy there Y'all,

Spring's a-comin' an it's mighty purty seein' all them nice, bright colors in the flower patch. So I been lookin' 'round ta see what else Mother Nature done brung us. An' darlin's, I'm mighty happy ta tell ya that taters is still purty cheap. Why I jes bought a 10-pound sack on sale fer only $1.50. Now, that surely ain't so good fer them poor farmers, but it's mighty fine fer folks with an almost empty billfold. Why, them cheap taters is helpin' lots o' folks get by with a good meal an' still have somethin' left ta pay the bills.

Now y'all don't have ta do anythin' fancy with taters to enjoy 'em. Fer the easiest fixin's I jes bake 'em, cut 'em open, an mash 'em in their skins with a tad o' soymilk, salt. an' pepper.

But one o' my favrite taters fixin's is the mighty fine casserole I calls Two-Potato Hootnanny that puts white taters together with yams, onions, an' garlic baked in a real nice soymilk sauce. Some folks might-could call it scalloped 'taters, but that jes don't sound as chipper as the name I done give it. Why it's so deelicious it's a hootnanny dish in my kitchen, it is. An' it's no trubble puttin' it together, if'n ya don't mind spendin' a little time in the kitchen. The recipe's down yonder but don't scurry away jes yet.

Now that nice tater dish is mighty fine jes like it is, but it's even better if'n ya serve it up with a nice tossed salad. I jes loves romaine lettuce--it's my one o' my very favrite greens. Now I don't know 'bout yer family, but my kinfolk likes lots o' chunky vegetables in the salad, like celery, radishes, purple cabbage, carrots, an' cucumbers.

An' when they's affordable, them nice red bell peppers makes a salad look bright an' fancy. But y'all better ferget about them fer now 'cause they'll cost ya yer week's salary.

Fer supper tonight, I'm a-gonna serve up some beans an' steam up some nice broccoli ta go with my Two-Potato Hootnanny. Maybe you'll like that, too. Give it a try an' let me know what y'all think.

Yer ever lovin' Aunt Nettie

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

2 cups (480 ml) chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Pinch of cayenne or Cajun seasoning

1 pound (450g) yams, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
3/4 pound (340g) Russet or White Rose potatoes, skins on, sliced 1/4-inch thick

8 sun-dried tomato halves, snipped into small bits

Creamy Sauce
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) vanilla soymilk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons water

1. Have ready an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20 cm) baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees (Gas Mark 4).
2. Combine the onions and garlic in a deep skillet. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water and water-sauté the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until they are transparent and softened. Add small amounts of water as needed to prevent burning. When softened, lightly sprinkle the onions with salt and a pinch of cayenne or lightly sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, and set aside.
3. While the onions are cooking, place the yams and potatoes into separate sections of a steamer and steam for 5 minutes, or until they are just tender.
4. Place one-fourth of the onions on the bottom of the baking dish. Layer the casserole as follows:
• Single layer of white potatoes
• One fourth of the onions.
• Single layer of yams
• Another fourth of the onions.
• Remaining potatoes and remaining onions
5. Sprinkle the sun-dried tomato bits over top, set aside, and prepare the Creamy Sauce.
6. To make the Creamy Sauce, combine the soymilk, salt, and oregano in a 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Watch carefully to avoid a messy boil-over. Reduce the heat slightly but keep the soymilk simmering.
7. In a small bowl or cup, combine the cornstarch and water and stir to form a runny paste. Add the paste, a little at a time, to the gently bubbling soymilk, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until the sauce is thickened to desired consistency.
8. Pour the sauce over the top of the casserole and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Nowadays, Aunt Nettie just shakes her head and complains, "Nobody cooks anymore. They have no idea about puttin' a meal together." She's on a mission. She wants to help those younguns eat better so they can grow up healthy like her own eight kids.