I like to go have coffee in my friend Jean Johnson's garden. It is a beautiful and peaceful place. At the back of the garden is a little house, with just enough room for two chairs and a tiny table for the coffee cups and a plate of Jean's homemade cookies. We admire the flowers and we talk about our children, our knitting projects, the state of the world and, of course, recipes. And Jean has plenty of recipes.

One of her favorite recipes came from Sweden. Jean and her husband, Ken, spent part of 19 summers in Sweden, where he did research. They first ate this fish dish when they were invited to dinner at the home of Ken's colleague.

"We thought it was a company dish, because it was so good, but our hosts said it was just an everyday way to fix fish," said Jean. "I always serve it over rice. I think the dill makes all the difference." She suggests that if you want a little more sauce, just add more half and half.

Fish prices vary tremendously, so wait until you find a nice white fish at a good price to make this dish. Frozen fillets work well. Jean uses whatever is the cheapest, including cod, tilapia, pollack or whiting.

Anne Gillespie Lewis is a Minneapolis writer.

Have recipes or thrifty tips to share? Send them to thethriftycook@gmail.com, or by mail to Taste/ Thrifty, Star Tribune, 425 Portland Av., Minneapolis, MN 55488.