Week 2

Not sure why the Gator chard is called "Gator", but it sure tasted good. Sauteed with a little vegetable stock, soy sauce and olive oil, it was delicious. Did the spinach the same way, only added a touch of sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds at the end.

I switched out the turnips for some micro greens - good sprinkled into anything from salads to a saute.
I must admit, the baby beets are still in the fridge. I have a recipe in mind, but need a run to the store to get all the ingredients.

Paid for the radishes because during the season, the best thing in the world are sliced radishes topping a buttered piece of crusty bread. Some people sprinkle with salt, but I eat mine straight.

Ahh, potatoes. My go to recipe calls for sliced onions, minced garlic and olive oil tossed with the potatoes, cleaned and cut into chunks. Sprinkle salt and pepper and put in a 300 degree oven. Tossing occasionally, after about an hour, turn the temp up to 450 for about 10-15 minutes. The potatoes will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside....yummy....

This week's share is the perfect example of the variety of fruits and vegetables I have been exposed to. Two kinds of peppers, three of apples, onions and potatoes. What a bounty!!!

I cooked the potatoes on the stove, starting with sauteing some garlic and onion in olive oil, then adding the potatoes, which were thinly sliced and some salt and pepper.  Mixing the varieties give a more complex taste to what is normally a very simple dish.

Potato Salad - the tasty switch

The items in this week's share was the perfect opportunity to switch out the usual ingredients of my usual potato salad for ones I had on hand. I like my potatoes with the skin on, so the Rose Gold New Potatoes, young ones with very thin skin are the perfect choice for potato salad and a good change from the larger Yukon gold. A gentle scrub is all they need. Bravely, I lite the stove (and turned the air conditioner on!) and boiled the potatoes until just soft.


I cut them up, added some fennel (instead of celery) and basil (instead of parsley) and one Cippolini onion (instead of the usual yellow). While I usually add mayo to the recipe, I didn't have any, so I used Marie's Blue Cheese Dressing instead. Add the usual salt and pepper and I was done.

Reviews were very positive and I had to rely on them since personally, I don't like potato salad. I know, it's crazy, but there is just something about cold potatoes that turns me off. I did taste this when the potatoes were still slightly warm and I really liked the fresh delicate taste.

Today's dish will be some salsa for a party I am going to.....stay tuned....

Potato-Leek Casserole

Having never cooked leeks before, and it being too hot for the many soup recipes I found online, I thought I would try this casserole, which turned out eatable for everyone...

2 Leeks, sliced lengthwise in half and then crosswise

2 medium potatoes, sliced

1 tablespoon butter, plus some for the pan

3 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, smashed

2 sprigs fresh thyme

6 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

2 cups cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-by-8-inch square glass casserole dish. After cutting the leeks, put them the basket of a salad spinner and fill with water. Swish the leeks around to flush out any grit.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs and half-and-half, then stir in the leeks, salt and pepper, garlic, thyme and nutmeg.

In the casserole dish, place a layer the potato on the bottom, spoon the leek mixture on top, then sprinkle with the grated cheese, repeat, ending up with the cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 20-25 minutes more, until the top is golden brown. 

Enjoy!!!

Roesti

Well, they were right. My husband loved the potato-beet roesti - it really was delicious! And easy to make too. Grated potato, beet - I used a yellow one (who knew they came in yellow!!), so as not to arouse any fear of actually eating a beet until it was eaten, a little flour, salt and pepper and butter. For my family of three, I used one Idaho potato and one large beet - it filled a 12" pan and we have some left over. I can see making this with other veggies too. It reminded me of a big potato pancake.

Curious about the origins, I did a little searching and see it it a Swiss creation, usually served for breakfast. Also spelled Rosti or Roschti (the Swiss German spelling). The potatoes can be raw or parboiled - I used raw potatoes and rather than rushing to avoid the potatoes turning that nasty color, I put the grated potato into cold water and when I was ready to cook, drained the water, using a salad spinner. It worked perfectly.
 
For those curious, here is a site with many variations.

Since today is Mother's Day, I will take the day off from cooking anything. A walk, a nap and dinner out awaits me on this warm and sunny day.....wishing all the mothers out there a wonder day..