Red White and Blue Potato Salad

Made with local baby blue, red new, and dutch yellow potatoes with local baby red onions that are caramelized to heavenly sweetness. Mixed with a lemony aoli style dressing with crunchy and fresh local cucumber. Zesty and colorful, this classic side gets local and patriotic to enliven your next 4th of July picnic.

Potatoes
1/2 pound purple/blue baby (small) potatoes
1/2 pound baby new potatoes
1/2 pound baby dutch yellow or yukon potatoes
3 tablespoons kosher salt

Caramelized Onions
1/2 pound baby red onions
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup water


Dressing
1/2 large english (seedless) cucumber
3 tablespoons good quality mayo
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons grey poupon or similar mustard
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Special equipment- potato brush scrubber

Peel and slice the onions into half moons. In a large stainless steel saute pan on medium high heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers and smokes slightly in the pan. Add the onions and salt and saute slowly, adding a little water when needed (when there are sticky brown bits on the pan) to deglaze. Cook onions for approximately 20 minutes, or until they are dark brown, and very soft and sweet.

While the onions are cooking, get started on the potatoes.

Wash and scrub all potatoes under cold running water. Halve or quarter the potatoes so they are bite sized (about 2 inches in diameter) and all roughly the same size. Fill a large pot with cold water, and add the potatoes and 3 tablespoons of salt. It may seem like a lot of salt, so if your pot is on the small side- use a little less. Your pot should be large enough for the potatoes to comfortably bubble around like they are in a big jacuzzi.  Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender and drain.

While the potatoes are boiling, start the dressing.

In a large bowl, whisk the mayo, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Dice the cucumber and mix in.

When the potatoes are done, drain them, and place them back in the hot pot for a second or two to wick off the excess moisture. Pour the hot potatoes into the bowl with the dressing, cucumbers and caramelized onions and mix well. Test for seasoning, and add if needed. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight. The longer this potato salad sits in the fridge, the tastier it gets!

Pan roasted chicken thighs with shiitake mushroom cream sauce and lemon baby broccoli.

As i mentioned in a previous post, I've taken on a summer challenge to get back in the kitchen with my newly acquired CSA. I love the surprise of veggies I get each Thursday, and even though its about 1,000 degrees in my kitchen, I'm determined not to let that stop me from cooking the bounty of the garden this summer.

This is a spin off of one of my favorites- french roasted chicken, featured earlier in this blog. Scaled down to just 2 servings (and using just one pan), this chicken makes a beautiful and thoughtful presentation for a date, or an intimate Sunday supper when pared with my easy lemon baby broccoli. You can substitute chicken breasts, but in my experience, nothing tastes quite like a roast chicken than a juicy thigh with a little crispy skin. Keeping the bone in keeps the thigh moist and flavorful, and makes overcooking almost impossible.

Made with some super star local ingredients; broccoli, chicken thighs, shiitake mushrooms and garlic, this is one pleasing recipe you'll want to make over and over. 


Lemon Baby Broccoli
1/2 pound baby broccoli, washed and trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
the juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste


Heat a stainless steel pan over medium high heat. While the pan is heating, cut baby broccoli into quarters, or halves if the stems are small. Add the oil to the pan, and heat the oil until it starts to smoke slightly. Add the baby broccoli to the pan, cut side down and sear on each side for approximately 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and water and increase heat to high. boil off the water, and remove the broccoli when it is just fork tender. I like my broccoli with a little bite to it, so i keep it on the more al dente side of things.

Prepare the pan for the chicken by wiping out any excess oil or water with a paper towel.


Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs
2 bone in chicken thighs, skin on.
2 tablespoons herbes de provence
1 teaspoon kosher/sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
 2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil

Heat a stainless steel pan over medium high heat. While the pan is heating, wash and dry the chicken thighs. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper and herbes de provence. Rub the herbs into the chicken, being careful not to remove the skin. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down and sear for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until the skin releases from the pan and is golden brown. (if the skin is still sticking, it isn't ready to turn yet) Turn the chicken over and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is done. The chicken is done when the juices run clear near the bone, is springy and firm to the touch, or when an instant read thermometer reads 175 in the fattest section of the meat, making sure to touch the bone when taking the temperature. Set aside the chicken to rest and prepare the pan for the sauce.

Shiitake Mushroom Cream Sauce
1 cup shiitake mushrooms-stems removed and sliced. If mushrooms are dirty, rub them lightly with a damp towel, don't wash.
1/4 cup good quality cream sherry mixed with 3 tablespoons tap water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 garlic clove, minced finely
salt and pepper to taste

Remove most of the extra fat/oil from the pan previously used for the chicken thighs, leaving about a tablespoon to cook the mushrooms. Heat the oil over medium high heat, until the oil shimmers and starts to smoke a little. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until the mushrooms start to brown. When the mushrooms are seared nicely on each side, add the sherry/water mixture and deglaze the pan, scraping up bits of fond as you go. when the liquid has reduced by 2/3, remove from the heat and add heavy cream and minced garlic. Add any juices that have collected on the plate holding the rested chicken thighs, stir well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the chicken, and pour over the mushroom sauce. Bon appetite, and try not to lick the plate in front of company.

 Pepper was licking her chops


















I got this olive oil at the greek festival, and it is technicolor green, fruity and delicious.

Beet greens pesto

I'm excited to post this because i hope that it will make me post more in the coming weeks.  I just started getting a CSA and I'm excited to have the challenge of cooking all sorts of great things this summer.
When i picked up my first CSA and it had beets in it- i decided to zip something up quick with the really beautiful looking greens they came with.

Pesto is one of those no recipe, recipes. No one makes it the same, and it can be anything you want it to be, from an easy pasta sauce, to a marinade or even just garnish. Trade out the beet greens for arugula, mint or spinach, or just use all basil. Switch out the type of nut you use, the type of hard cheese or even add some crushed red pepper or curry powder for some spice. These were my measurements, but you don't really need a recipe- just make it taste good to you. The more you make it- the more things you'll think of to put it on! (eggs, pizza and grilled cheese being favorites of mine)

Freeze leftover pesto, or it will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. If you keep your pesto in the fridge, make sure the surface of the pesto is covered well with oil, and replace the oil as needed. Hopefully your pesto will be so delicious- it will be gone before you can start the sniff testing. 

Beet greens pesto. 
the tops from 3 large beets- or approximately 2 cups
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup basil
1/4 cup walnuts- toasted
the juice and the zest of one large lemon
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed.
3/4 cup grated asiago cheese
1/2-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil- good quality
salt and pepper

Wash and drain the beet greens. remove any large veins/stems and set aside.
In a large pot, boil water and salt it liberally. add the white vinegar and boil the beet green tops for 3-4 minutes. Shock the beet greens in an ice water bath, and transfer the greens to a salad spinner/dry cloth. Dry the greens well, and chop them into 2 inch pieces.

While the water is boiling, toast your walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat (or in a toaster oven set to "light brown" for approx 2-4 minutes). This may seem like a step you'll want to skip, but I've found that toasting the nuts is essential. The oils come out and the flavors develop much deeper with a light toasting.

In a large blender or food processor, add all ingredients except for, salt, pepper and oil. pulse multiple times and once the mixture is the texture of salsa, start drizzling in the oil slowly so it emulsifies. when the mixture is smooth and glossy, test for salt and pepper, add if needed.

enjoy with a friend, because your garlic dragon breath won't matter that much if you both reek.

Easy Easter

For Easter, we decided to do something simle and delicious. My older sister was in town for a short visit with her friends, so I didn't want to suck up too much time by doing something complicated. We decided on Potato Leek soup, a salad made with greens from our garden, biscuits and lemon meringue pie.

For the soup I pumped up the flavor by adding caramelized onions as a garnish, and the time spent on them was worth every golden brown bite. Intense, sweet and savory, caramelized onions are one of those things that it pays to do slowly, correctly and patiently.

For the pie I used 2 types of lemon and lots of zest to pump up the pucker factor. I love the pairing of the fluffy sweet egg white meringue with the punch of the lemon filling on a crispy crust.

I feel like I have been making these 2 recipes my whole life, and the more I make them the more I love them. My Grandmother was famous for her lemon meringue pie, and I’m fortunate to still have her recipe, in her dainty cursive on a yellowed and faded index card from 1989. I love the crinkly, foamy and sea like sound it makes when you cut into it and nothing beats this homemade pie filling.

Caramelized Onions (takes about 45 minutes to do it right)

2 large Vidalia/sweet onions

2 tbl vegetable oil

Tap water

This recipe makes about a cup of caramelized onions. you can start with one onion, but these are so good, i always make extra for use later on.

Cut the onions in half lengthwise, and discard the tops and bottoms, and the paper outer covering. Slice the onions thinly (half moon shapes)

While you're slicing, heat a stainless steel pan over medium heat with 2 tbl vegetable oil. (Do not use a non-stick!)

Add all the sliced onions to the pan once the pan is hot and stir. Don’t worry about overcrowding the pan- the amount of onions will reduce by 4, and you'll end up with less than you think. Stir occasionally until the onions start to stick. if you notice that there is starting to be a brown layer on the pan (called "Fond") add about 3 tablespoons water to the pan and scrape the bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Keep doing this stir/water treatment until the onions turn dark brown all over and are sweet and sticky with caramelization. The water is to prevent sticking/burning. Do not turn up the heat the pan to speed up the process- it won't work. You want these onions to cook low and slow, but don't worry- it they will be worth the wait. Great for pizza toppings, as an addition to pasta, on a crustini for an appetizer, or on almost anything savory you want to eat. These are addictive.

Leek and Potato Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil

(special equipment- immersion blender, or a blender with a large cup)
1 yellow onion, julienned
2-3 large leeks, green parts discarded, white/light green parts chopped into half moons and soaked in cold water to remove any grit/sand.
3 whole, peeled garlic cloves
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
32 ounces vegetable stock (low sodium)
10 ounces heavy cream (omit if you want this recipe to be vegan. it will be almost as good)
salt and white pepper

In a large soup/stock pot, heat oil on medium heat. Drain the leeks- being careful not to pour the sandy water back on them. Add the leeks to your pot and stir. Slice your onion finely, and add to the cooking leeks. Add the whole peeled garlic, and stir. Cook until the onions are translucent, but not brown. If your onions/leeks start to brown- turn down the heat. Once the onions are translucent, add diced potatoes and vegetable stock. The vegetable stock should cover the vegetables and potatoes. If it isn't enough- add water until the potatoes are just covered. Bring the soup to a boil, and reduce to medium low/low and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.

Using an immersion blender (or transferring soup in batches to a blender) blend the soup until smooth. Taste for salt and pepper, and add if needed. If you are serving immediately add the cream, and blend together until rich and smooth. Test again for salt and pepper, and add if needed. This soup is also excellent cold.

Garnish with caramelized onions.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Prepared pie dough (you can make your own, but i bought a pre made dough from the grocery store. it isn't cheating as long as the filling is awesome) and 1 pound of pie weights, dried beans or rice

Filling
5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup lemon juice and the zest of the 2 lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Meringue. (we like it piled high!)

6-7 large egg whites- room temperature

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

separating eggs

Preheat the oven to 400

Roll out the prepared dough in a 9 inch pie plate. Using your fingers, make a decorative edge. Using a fork, prick the dough all over so the crust doesn't bubble. Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on the dough and put the pie weights or beans/rice on top to weigh the dough down. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. if your crust is not getting brown in the middle- remove the pie weights and bake for an additional 4-6 minutes until the crust is just golden. let cool and prepare the filling.

Lower the oven temp to 350

In a medium sized sauce pan on medium heat, combine sugar, corn starch, salt, water and milk. Stir until corn starch lumps are dissolved, and bring to a low boil until the mixture has thickened greatly. (Should look like pudding) Temper in the eggs slowly, and stir until completely incorporated. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on medium low. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and lemon extract. Stir well. Pour filling through a sieve to remove any possible lumps, cover filling (pressing wrap to the filling to prevent the formation of a skin) and set aside.

In a clean, dry mixing bowl. Add egg whites and cream of tartar to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

Whip the mixture on high until foam is created. SLOWLY add granulated sugar, and continue to whip on high until stiff peaks are formed, and egg whites are glossy and firm but not too dry!

Add the filling to the shell and smooth.

Add the egg whites to the top of the pie making sure to smooth the egg whites out so that the crust is completely sealed (or whites will shrink!). Using the back of a spoon or spatula, make peaks and dips in the egg whites for decoration. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the egg whites are golden brown.

Let cool completely, and then refrigerate if you can wait to eat it.

French Roasted Chicken

A friend of mine charged me with the task of teaching her how to make a whole chicken. My mom had recently taken a trip to Provence, and brought me back authentic Herbes de Provence. One of the strongest flavors was the lavender, and I had never cooked with it before. When I was a kid, my mom used to make “chicken with and an egg” which was a whole roasted chicken stuffed with a whole lemon. I mixed the idea of this dish, and used a new ingredient that I had procured, and the results were memorable. This is by far, the best roast chicken I’ve ever had, and I think you’ll agree too.


French Roast Chicken feeds 5 comfortably
Ingredients
1 whole chicken 4-5 pounds
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 garlic cloves chopped roughly
5 tablespoons Herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon dried mint
2 teaspoons white pepper
3 tablespoons sea salt
5 tablespoons cold butter
1 lemon cut into quarters
6 tablespoons fresh lavender
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450
Wash the chicken and pat very dry. Set aside. You’ll want the chicken to be room temperature, and the butter ice cold. Using the back of a fork, mash together lemon zest, garlic, herbs, white pepper, salt and butter. Once you have a paste, separate the skin from the chicken breast and legs. Rub the herbed butter mixture all over the bird- inside and outside of the skin and inside of the cavity. Place on a roasting pan and stuff the chicken with the quartered lemons. Turn the chicken wings under and tuck the tips into the side of the chicken. Secure the wings and the legs/back with a piece of twine.
Roast the chicken breast side up for 10-15 minutes at 450 or until the breast is a light golden brown. Turn the heat down to 350 and roast for 45 minutes to one hour or until the internal temperature is at 165 at the thickest part on the chicken—in a leg or through the breast, making sure not to touch bone. Baste with any juices as needed- but don't for the last 15 minutes- you'll want the skin to be crispy. As you’re checking on your bird, if you start to notice that the skin is getting to dark, cover with foil, taking care not to keep the oven open too long.

Remove the chicken and tent for 10-15 minutes to let it rest. Carve the chicken and serve with your favorite sides. I like to serve this dish with roasted parsnips and beets or make it ahead of time for the best chicken salad you’ve ever had. Save me a leg!