Potatoes

Creamy Potato Salad

Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes, cubed (I’ve used a mixture of new, Yukon gold, and red or even regular baking potatoes)
1 ¹⁄₂ cups mayonnaise, more or less to taste
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
¹⁄₂ cup green onion, chopped
12 ounces center-cut bacon, sliced and cooked until crisp, optional
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and boil potato cubes for 20-25 minutes, or until fork tender.

2. Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a large glass or plastic bowl. Add potatoes, celery, onion and bacon if using; toss. Stir in eggs. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and chill.  

Comments
This recipe is from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook (8th edition).  Apparently there’s now a 10th edition which I will have to resist getting!  This is a great cookbook for a new cook and it’s one that I appreciated having in the early years of my adult life.  I’ve tried a ridiculous number of potato salad (recipes and an even greater number of potato salads in restaurants and from stores.  This is the stuff I like best.  

I keep forgetting to take a picture when I grab a bowl for lunch, thankfully there’s still plenty left.

Shown here with Grilled Chicken.

Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook (8th edition)

Roasted Potatoes with Pesto

Ingredients
1 pound potatoes, small potatoes such as new, red or Yukon gold are best
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 heaping spoonfuls Pesto

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425-450*F.

2. Cut each potato into 8 wedges. Season with salt and pepper, toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Spread potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 45-60 minutes until nicely browned and crisp. Stir after 20-30 minutes for even roasting.

4. Remove potatoes from oven and toss with pesto.  

Comments
Roasted potatoes are one of the simplest things in the world to make.  That being said, up until recently, they’re something I’ve always failed at.  I’m not sure why exactly, I just have never gotten the hang of roasted vegetables until recently.  I think the trick is to leave them alone for a good long while and not to crowd the pan.  I made both of these mistakes and would crowd the pan and stir them too frequently.  

These were delicious.  The pesto added a great bit of flavor and earned a bunch of praise.

Person - Gwen

Greek Potatoes with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1 ¹⁄₂ cups olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dried), chopped
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2-3 pounds potatoes, each cut into wedges (I’ve used everything from large baking potatoes to small Yukon golds.  I feel the smaller potatoes work the best)
¹⁄₂ cup chicken broth

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425*F.

2. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, oregano, and parsley in a medium bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper.  Or use an immersion blender.  

3. Toss potatoes with ¹⁄₂ cup vinaigrette on a heavy, large, rimmed baking sheet. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette. Pour chicken stock around potatoes and season potatoes with salt and pepper. Roast potatoes until tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and more chopped parsley.

Comments
I love these potatoes.  I’ve been making them for years now and they’re just so lemony and perfect.  They go well with other Greek foods, like lamb, but also go well with everything from burgers to grilled chicken.  I tend to serve the remaining vinaigrette on the side and let people sauce them as desired.

Shown here with Cod with Lemon-Caper Sauce.

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Cabbage and Potato Gratin with Sage

Ingredients
1 pound potatoes (I used new potatoes and Yukon gold depending on what I have.)
1 ¹⁄₂ pound cabbage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sage, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ¹⁄₃ cups half and half or milk
3 eggs
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Lightly butter an 8x12-inch baking dish. Bring water to a boil in a large pot while you prepare the vegetables. Slice the potatoes ¹⁄₄-inch thick; core and slice the cabbage into 1-inch ribbons.

2. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the water, add the potatoes, and boil until nearly tender, about 6 minutes. Scoop them into a colander, then add the cabbage to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. The water may not return to a boil and that’s fine. Drain the cabbage, rinse under cool water, and then twist in a kitchen towel or spin in a salad spinner to remove the excess moisture, getting it as dry as you can.  Combine the cabbage and potatoes in a bowl.

3. Melt the butter in a small skillet with the sage and garlic over medium heat. Cook for about 1 minute until everything is fragrant. Pour it over the cabbage and potatoes. Toss well and season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to the baking dish.

4. Whisk the remaining ingredients together, pour them over the vegetables, and bake until firm and lightly browned, about 50 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.  

Comments
This is adapted from Local Flavors which is a fantastic cookbook.  I chose this recipe to use up the cabbage and potatoes that were in my CSA box this week.  I was also thrilled to be able to use local eggs and sage from my herb garden in the dish!  

I loved the flavor of this.  It was a bit different than other gratins I’ve had due to the eggs, it was almost more like a crustless quiche than a gratin.  Regardless, it was fantastic and I’m sure I’ll be making this again at some point in my life.  

I used half and half since it’s what I happened to have on hand, any milk, cream, or mixture would work just as well.

Shown here with Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken with Crispy Skin.

Local Flavors