Tag Archives: potatoes

Red, White and Blue Potato Salad

Posted on by
1

For my friend Gabriela, who wasn’t going to ask for the recipe because it seemed complicated, I offer this simple interpretation of the improvised potato salad we enjoyed this weekend. Thank you for your continual hosting panache at your spectacular Santa Cruz digs on the perfect beach with an outstanding cadre of cohorts.

Red White and Blue Potatoes

Red White and Blue Potatoes

Originally, I planned to do an Ahi Poke. Hawaii is part of the USA that probably doesn’t get much love from the mainland on this holiday. It seems to be all about the heartland, when it comes to the food of the fourth. Hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob – you get the gist. But when I went to the store, I faced the conundrum over choosing seafood these days. The Ahi was “sustainably” farmed according to Whole Foods, but the fine print mentioned Fiji and the guy behind the counter said he thought it probably came from Indonesia. I couldn’t do it – too much traveling.

So, I wandered the aisles looking for some inspiration. There were going to be some heavy weight culinairesses in attendance. I couldn’t slack. Then it hit me. In the produce section, lined up in a row there were some local tiny white potatoes, red potatoes and glorious purple potatoes. Close enough to red, white and blue for my sensibility. Smaller is always better with potatoes, in my opinion. Some sweet corn, english peas, local spring onions and dill all were screaming to jump in my bag. For added measure I grabbed some of those TLC Ranch pastured eggs heralded by Rebecca T. in the comments of my previous egg post. Here’s how easy it was, Gaby:

Red White and Blue Potato Salad

Red White and Blue Potato Salad

In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes, shucked corn and eggs. I would add the red potatoes at least 10 minutes after the others. They are softer and will fall apart if they go as long as the white and purple (which mine did). Pull the corn out once the water boils and cut the kernels off. Pull the eggs out a few minutes after the pot boils. The objective is to get them soft-hard cooked. Cool them in ice water. After you de-pod your peas, put them in the strainer in the water for a moment to blanch them. Take all of the veggies / eggs and put them in the fridge to cool.

When the potatoes are just fork tender remove them from the boiling water and transfer them to ice water to cool them down quickly and stop the cooking. Slice your onions finely and put them in a large bowl. Add some dijon mustard, champagne vinegar (or comparable) and whisk in olive oil to emulsify.

When your potatoes are cool, dry them, slice them into bite-size pieces and add them to the dressing. Toss in the peas, corn and break up some dill. Gently toss the whole thing together to get everything coated well with the dressing and onions. Salt and pepper to taste and then slice the eggs on top.

I enjoy this simple type of potato salad. There is a little bite from the vinegar but no heaviness from mayo. The flavors of the fresh peas, corn and onions pop to compliment the richness of a good potato. And Rebecca was right, her TLC Ranch eggs were outstanding!! Click on the image to visit her website.

I hope all of your 4ths were as enjoyable as mine. Great time with the family and friends. We are truly fortunate.

Greece Revisited

Posted on by
1

Hosted a dinner party on Saturday night. The objective was to recreate some of the flavors of our Greece trip. While everyone was effusive with their compliments, I’d give the performance mixed reviews. Here was the menu:

Babaganouj
Tzatziki
Greek Salad
Grilled, Herb-Rubbed Leg of Lamb
Grilled Fennel
Grilled Yellow Potatoes
Petite Strawberries with Yogurt and Honey

I made the baba a few days in advance with an eggplant from our planet organics box. Real simple, tahini, lemon, garlic, parsely. Tzatziki is also pretty simple. Peel and seed a cucumber, puree with lemon juice, clove of garlic and some dill. Mix with 1.5 cups of greek yogurt. Both served with an Acme sweet batard, nice and warm.

Greek Salad

Greek Salad

For the salad, you can refer to the previous post where I spell out rules. Two farmers market visits scored me some vine tomatoes, sweet red onion, green peppers and cucumbers. I assembled the salad in two layers since I was feeding nine. I piled fresh dill in between the layers and put some slabs of feta on top. A simple splash of olive oil and citrus vinegar was all that was necessary to coax the best from the veggies.

Fennel Before Grilling

Fennel Before Grilling

Everything was going smoothly. For the mains, I purchased five pounds of a pastured, grass-fed leg of lamb. I figured I’d try out Avedano’s, an oft-mentioned butcher in Bernal (on Cortland). I rubbed the sucker in rosemary, thyme and shopped garlic and let it sit for four hours. I prepped the fennel by trimming and quartering the bulbs and tossing them in olive oil, salt and pepper. For the potatoes, which were small and lovely, I par-boiled them until al-dente, halved them and tossed them in olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Potatoes Before Grilling

Potatoes Before Grilling

Once the grill was hot I put the fennel on and got some lovely char going. From previous experiences I learned that fennel needs to be cooked through and takes a long time. Crunchy fennel doesn’t work. Once browned I moved them to the edges of the grill, away from the direct heat. I then did the same for the lamb, getting some char on and then moving the legs away from the direct coals (which I only put on half of my Weber).

Leg of Lamb, Marinating

Leg of Lamb, Marinating

I cooked the lamb to 135 degrees, medium rare. Pulled it off, let it rest. Off come the fennel, tossed in the remaining oil, salted and served. Put the potatoes on the direct heat to crisp up for a few minutes while I sliced the lamb. I found the meat to have a confusing maze of fat and tissue. There was plenty of meat, but I think the next time I would trim up the sections better to eliminate the unnecessary stuff. Pulled the potatoes off, cut them into quarters and tossed them back in the rosemary oil.

The fennel was sublime. Really. Best dish of the night. I can’t imagine a better preparation. The potatoes were good, but were made even better as my friend David and I dredged them into the oil. The trick is to make sure these guys are well coated. Everyone complimented the meat, but I wasn’t sold. I found it to lack lambiness. I hope this isn’t a symptom of the grass-fed. Perhaps it was the cut or the preparation – I’ll own it if it’s me. The only way to tell is to give it another shot. It’s a long summer.

Julie flexed her culinary muscle by taking over the strawberry dessert. I didn’t leave much yogurt so she dished out a dollop over some sweet, petite farmer’s market strawberries and a little dash of honey. Really, a perfect ending to the meal. Simple, sweet and small.