King of the Road

Ever heard this song?  I love it, an oldie but a goodie.  One of my favorites, and it reminds me of a great little idea to try out for dinner tonight.  "Hobo packs" are a cooking technique that Boy Scouts have been using for generations.

Photo via The Unorthodox Epicure

The idea is simplicity itself.  Take a piece of heavy aluminum foil (if you don't have heavy foil, double layer the regular stuff), add in whatever is for dinner, and seal the edges tightly.  Put it over a campfire, or a grill, or even a burner on the stove set to low, and in a little while you're ready to eat.

Hobo packs can be adapted to pretty much anything you're cooking:  Meat, fish, chicken, vegetables... anything.  In my decades of Scout experience, I've come up with a couple of rules of thumb.  Let me share the results of my many experiments.

1. You need some fat in the pack.  This can be butter or oil.  If you're including a meat whose fat will render (e.g., ground beef, pork, or lamb), use less and put the oil mainly on the meat.  That'll ensure it cooks nicely until it gets hot enough for the fat starts to render.
2. Include at least some of an aromatic vegetable.  Onions are the most commonly used ingredient, but celery, carrots, or any other aromatic will work.  For chicken, fish, or veggies, I've found fennel is my favorite.
3. Season it.  That means salt and pepper.  And don't skimp.  If you've got some fresh herbs, add them too.  Think about the classic, time-honored pairings:  mint with lamb (where I went camping, spearmint grew everywhere in the woods and we used it), dill with chicken, etc.
4. If you're making more than just a side item, include your starch and protein in the packet as well.

Tonight we're having zucchini and carrots with fennel, olive oil, dill and chives.  Since we're not camping, we'll use plates instead of eating right out of the foil.  But I won't fault you if you do it the rustic way!

Potatoes of Love

Photo via What's Cooking America

If you're participating in Valerie's Valentine's Day program, one of the items is some potatoes to bake. The easiest way to do that is with the microwave. Poke fork holes in them, coat them in a thin layer of peanut oil, sprinkle some garlic powder on, nuke for 10 minutes (a little more if they're big).

Of course, that is the simplest option. There are ways to dress it up. You can feel free to use the old standby, loaded potatoes. That means after you bake them, add butter, sour cream, chili, cheese, chives, and onion (or any subset thereof) on top.  You can also make them into potato salad with pretty much the same effect.

Photo via Food & Wine

Do you have some mushrooms left over? If so, make a simple ragú. This goes great on baked potatoes, along with a little butter.

Twice baked potatoes are also very easy. Bake is you normally would, halve, and scoop the flesh out leaving the skins intact.  Mix the flesh with some butter, salt, and pepper.  Add shredded cheese of your choice, using about 1 part cheese to 3 parts potato.  Spoon the mixture back in the skins, compacting it down, and sprinkle a little more cheese over the top.  Place under a low broiler until slightly browned on top, about 10 minutes.

Photo via Food Network

Happy Valentine's Day!

Let's Get Some Spice On!

When I saw the green beans in today's box, for some reason my mind jumped to curries.  I often use a mix of veggies in my curries, but for some reason I almost always include green beans.  We can use the potatoes and the sweet potatoes we've gotten recently, and if you have any carrots left, those would be good too.

Curries originated in southeast Asia, notably the area around Thailand.  From there, they expanded west across India, parts of the Persian Gulf, and into eastern Africa, jumping with the slave trade to various parts of the Caribbean; and they expanded west to places like Fiji and other islands across the Pacific.  At its most basic, it's a dish using lots of spice and almost always includes chilis of some sort.  Some are more like a soup, usually served over rice, others are more like a stir fry with a heavy sauce, again served with rice.

Photo via about.com

The key ingredient in curry is curry powder, which is simply a blend of spices.  That's it.  Take half the spice drawer, put it all together, shake until mixed, and voilà, curry powder.  Well, not exactly.  it is a measured quantity of each of certain spices, then shake 'em all together and you have curry powder.  Which spices are going to vary wildly by region, but most of them have cumin and turmeric as a base.  For example, Thai curry powder usually contains turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger and chilis as its starting point.  As you move west through India, you'll start seeing less coriander and more cardamom, for example.

Photo via Jamie Oliver

Curries are usually quite simple to prepare.  Some are yogurt based, some start with a tomato sauce, others use coconut milk.  In essence, you start with the base, add the spices, add whatever half-cooked veggies and browned meat you'd like, and let it cook together until the meat is finished and the veggies are soft.  Some other recipes I've tried and liked are found here, here, and here.

Most of the time, curries can be prepared really quickly with whatever veggies you have on hand.  Great for those weeknights when you need a dinner in 30 minutes or less.

Photo via Food & Wine

Aaaaand Let the Leftovers Begin!

So, Turkey Day is over.  How was yours?  I'm thankful that my sister-in-law let me take over her kitchen to make Thanksgiving dinner.  And it turned out very well!

Front to back:  Sherry & Molasses Glazed Carrots, Cinnamon & Star Anise Cranberry Sauce,  Ratatouille a la Remy, Herb-Roasted Turkey With Maple Gravy, Cranberry Apple Stuffing, mashed potatoes with parsnips, salad.  Yeah, I forgot the sweet potatoes.

Now the fun part begins!  What to do about leftovers.  While we're on the topic of mashed potatoes, that's the one item where I way overdo it with the leftovers.  I always forget that there are quite a few starches on the table, and the quantity of mashed potatoes consumed is reduced due to this fact.  What can we do?

Photo via the Food Network

• Potato pancakes  When I was a kid, my mom used to use leftover mashed potatoes to make potato pancakes for breakfast.  This recipe seems to approximate hers.  This one for cheesy mashed potato pancakes looks very promising too.
• Waffles  Okay, this is a new one I stumbled upon while researching this article.  But... wow.
• Shepherd's pie  Using them for a crust for shepherd's pie is great too.  You could make a traditional version, or use up some more leftovers by using turkey and sweet potatoes as well.  You could add in some of your green beans to that one, too.
• Pot pies  As a variant on the shepherd's pie idea, replace the crust of your favorite turkey pot pie recipe with a layer of mashed potatoes.
• Other starchy sides  Baked cheesy puffs or these creative spring rolls would be a great side to a dinner this week.

Photo via Joy the Baker

Thanksgiving Cometh

There's less than a week to go before Thanksgiving.  Has everyone gotten their menu settled?

Photo via wallconvert.com

I'd like to talk about what usually becomes a Thanksgiving afterthought:  the mashed potatoes.  On the Thanksgiving table, they're one of the least special items.  After all, we have them fairly often throughout the year, right?  So why are they supposed to be special on Thanksgiving?  Don't they almost have to be drowned out by the cranberry sauce and the stuffing?  No, I say!  They can hold their own!  By gosh, today they will be special!

Photo via About Food

But how?  What can make that starchy staple a standout?  Here are some tips:

• Wash the potatoes first.  Well.  Use a brush.  Then slice them into thin (maybe 1/4" to 1/2") disks.  They'll cook faster.
• Parsnips add complexity to the flavor of mashed potatoes.  Peel and slice them as thick as the potatoes, and boil then mash them together.
• Use a food mill to mash them.  That makes the smoothest potatoes.  That's how restaurants get that incredible texture.  It also makes peeling the potatoes first unnecessary.
• After you mash them, don't skimp on the salt and pepper.
• Put a complimentary flavor in with the potatoes.  For example, take 1/4 cup of the turkey drippings and mix them in with the potatoes.  If your stuffing is heavy on thyme or sage, put a hint of it in the potatoes too.  Other flavors that might compliment might be some mashed roasted garlic or a bit of horseradish.
• Fat makes mashed potatoes creamy.  Butter/margarine, sour cream, half and half, all are good options.  Of course, cheese is good (rumor has it that there is some amazing smoked cheddar at the store), or you could go all out.

Good luck with the potatoes!

Caldo Verde & Broa

Photo via Garden Guy Hawaii

The greens that were in this week's box that you likely didn't recognize are Brassica oleracea var. costata, commonly known as Portuguese cabbage or kale.  You can use them like any other Brassica, such as collard greens or kale.  (Here are some ideas from a while ago.)

This is, however, a component of the national dish of Portugal.  You can also find it quite a bit around the Cape Cod area, which has a large Portuguese community.  It's a soup made from these leafy greens, onion, potato, and chicken stock.  (I'm sure we all still have some potatoes left over, right?)  Traditionally it's eaten with Broa, which is a yeast-based cornbread with wheat or rye flour added as well.  Here's my recipe for Caldo Verde:

Photo via Williams Sonoma

Caldo Verde
Ingredients:

• 8 ounces mild chorizo or Linguiça sausage
• 3/4 lb. Portuguese cabbage
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 lb. potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably unsalted
• 1 cup water
• salt & pepper
• ham hock (optional)

Directions

1. In a soup pot, warm the oil over medium heat and then sauté the onions until translucent, 10 minutes or so.  Add the potatoes and garlic, sauté 5 minutes more.  Add the water and stock, 2 tsp. salt, ham hock if using and the potatoes.  Simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
2. Slice the sausages into bite-sized pieces, and boil them in water for 5 minutes.  Discard the water.
3. Remove about half the potatoes and mash them.  Return to the pot, add the sausage, and continue to simmer until the sausages are cooked, 5 minutes more.
4. Rinse the cabbage and slice the sides away from the tough center stems.  Stack the leaves together and roll lengthwise into a tight bundle, and slice (chiffonade) into very thin strips.  The longer pieces can be cut in half.
5. Add the greens to the soup and simmer just until they are green and still a little crisp, 5 minutes.  Do not overcook the greens.
6. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve, drizzling a little extra-virgin olive oil over the bowls of soup.

Adapted from this recipe from Williams Sonoma.

Just the Tools at Hand

Today is the first time I've been camping in a long, long, long time.  It's my little guy's first experience.  His enthusiasm was... effervescent.  Of course, this involved campfire cooking.  Other than forgetting how long everything takes (coffee might be done by lunch), it went well.

My Boy Scout days taught me the utility of cooking in foil.  But let's just say that my palate has progressed past a hunk of ground beef with onion and potato slices.  The art form, however, can still be beautiful.

You also don't have to wait for a camp out to do this.  The coals in the barbecue grill work just fine too.

Campfire potatoes are simply sliced Yukon golds, fresh rosemary and thyme, generous salt & pepper, and some fat (olive oil works, and so does leftover duck fat).

Dessert (well, pre-s'mores anyway) was this delicious stone fruit concoction.  Ginger snaps, sliced fruit, lime zest and juice, and I substituted dark rum for brandy and maple syrup for sugar, and WOW.

The true stroke of genius, though, was using leftover ginger snaps for the s'mores.  OH YEAH.

Family Secrets

We've all got them, right?  Some treasured family secret recipe somewhere.  I gave you one of mine in my first post on kohlrabi.  I'll give you another one now:  my mom's German potato salad, with a couple of my own tweaks.  Potatoes are another almost-every-week kind of staple, and we're in the midst of cucumber season, too.  So, without further ado:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. assorted potatoes, either peeled or unpeeled, sliced into bite-sized 1/4" disks
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced 1/8" thick
• 2 scallions, sliced 1/8" thick
• 3 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise into thin strips
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar, to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar, to taste
• Salt & pepper
• Kettle of boiling water

Yes, you need to slice a number of ingredients thinly.  Yes, the mandoline will make that fast and easy.  No, you may not use it without the safety glove.

Directions

• Boil potatoes in salted water until tender but not soft.  Since you're cooking the potatoes after they're sliced, they will cook quickly.

• Crisp the bacon, reserving fat.  You should have about 1/4 cup.  Remove bacon to a paper towel and make gravy from the bacon drippings.  Add half the flour to the bacon fat with salt and pepper, whisk.  Gradually add remaining flour to create a roux, and allow to darken a little.  Add sugar and 1/4 cup vinegar to roux, then gradually add boiling water, stirring, to create a medium-thickness gravy.  Adjust vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

• Toss together potatoes, scallions, cucumber, and crisped bacon.  Pour over half the gravy, toss.  Add more gravy and toss again until you get the desired consistency.

• Ta da!  Serve either cooled or warm.  And yes, it'll be better tomorrow.

Potato salad is the sort of dish where nearly every family has their own favorite.  I asked around Nall's and Vanessa had a really good one, too:

I used about 6-8 red potatoes, cut in small cubes, tossed in olive oil and red wine vinegar then lined then up in a deep cookie sheet and bake for 50-60 mins at 400. While potatoes are baking, take about 4 ears of corn and cut off cob. Chop up 2-3 spring onions and toss with corn. When you take out the potatoes, sprinkle with sea salt and toss with mayo to your liking while the potatoes are hot and add in the spring onions and corn. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. You can also add bacon!

 I've got a couple of other potato salad recipes that I really like as well.  This one is sort of an Alsatian take on my German potato salad, using pancetta and brown butter.  It's my go-to pot luck dish.  This one is similar and on my list to try.  Here's a creamy, lemony one that's very good too.

Do you mind sharing your "secret" potato salad recipe?

Sauteed Cabbage & Potatoes via Tash's Noshes

As promised in the previous post, here's some more from Crop Share member Natasha's healthy food blog, Tash's Noshes.  She did a figure friendly take on cabbage & potatoes with the contents of our St. Patrick's day boxes.  So if you're still staring down that cabbage or have leftover potatoes (on top of the even MORE potatoes we all got this week, hooray!!) give this recipe a nosh!  For all of you runners out there (Lord knows I am NOT one of them, the only thing in my life that runs is my stockings), especially those of you who have done or are planning on running in the Marine Corps Marathon this year, this lovely lady is "fundracing" on behalf of Back On My Feet DC for this year's MCM.    So absolutely run over to BoMF's website to check out the amazing work they do with those in our community transitioning from homelessness, addiction and abuse (even consider getting involved!), and then if you are so led, consider throwing some coinage towards Tash's fundracing efforts on her official fundracing page!  

Sauteed Cabbage & Potatoes via Tash's Noshes

And as a bonus (and a slight teaser on the next recipe I'll be posting), check out how she used up the delicious pears in this protein packed salad, perfect for a Meatless Monday lunch...

Arugula & Pear Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

Wearin' O' The Green!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  No, I didn't just flashback a few months to Christmas.  St. Patrick's Day is upon us and it gives myself and every other Irish American the chance to be completely obnoxious about how Irish we are.  And it's the one day of the year everyone wants to be us!  Take that kids who made fun of my red hair and held me down while you played connect the dots with my freckles!  So if you're lucky enough to be Irish, you're lucky enough.  But if you're not, then allow me to lovingly carry you through the mists and the fog of traditional, yet delicious Irish cuisine.  Yes, it's a lot of cabbage and potatoes, but the Irish have always done seasonal and local, the rest of us are just catching up to how delicious it can be.

So to whet your appetite, pour yourself a nice cuppa tea (or a whiskey) and enjoy these traditional oldies but goodies from the library of Nalls' Kitchen...

Colcannon

Leek & Potato Soup

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Bacheofe - Alsatian Meat & Vegetable Stew via Saveur

You hear a lot about my Irishness and love for all things potato, but that's only half of my DNA.  Another quarter is French...French Huguenot, to be exact.  So, since my Huguenot ancestors spent a good portion of their lives in the Rhine region of Germany as a means to escape persecution in France, it must be coded somewhere in my genetic tastebuds to love dishes from the Alsace region of France, because their cuisine is an incredible blend of French & German flavors.  So no dainty, delicate sauces over something poached.  No, this is good stick to your ribs food, and like all good traditional cuisines, it's comprised of what's local, seasonal and on the cheap.

Hands down one of my favorite Alsatian dishes is Bacheofe/Baeckoffe, and all you need to know is it's a giant casserole of warmth.  While I was musing over what fun thing to suggest for the Crop Share carrots this week, Saveur did the work for me and posted their recipe for Bacheofe.  Which reminded me I also had tucked away Alsatian chef, Hubert Keller's recipe for his family's version.  So I leave you with links to both versions, but do read the notes at the bottom of Keller's as there's really nothing quite like the phrase, "pig trotters add a gelatinous consistency."  Not sure if that's a good or bad thing, but I'm pretty sure Penny would have something to say about that.  Thankfully, pig trotters are entirely optional for this dish!  So use up those carrots from this week, and if you still have any leeks and potatoes leftover from last week, this will use those right up too.  The recipes are hyperlinked in each title, so click through to view them on their original pages.  But if a massive hearty stew of heavy meat & veg isn't the way you want to use your carrots this week, then enjoy another taste of my DNA (well not literally, as we do frown on cannibalism here at Nalls) with my Grammy Freer's Chicken In A Wine Sauce.  Remember two cups of white wine for the dish, and 3 cups for the chef.  ;)

Bacheofe - Alsatian Meat & Vegetable Stew via Saveur

Beef Lamb & Pork Baeckeoffe via Hubert Keller

There's no image of his version of Baeckeoffe, so I give you this photo of the silver fox himself, shaving with a kitchen knife.  I only have a slight food crush on this man.

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

Wait till you see the amount of potatoes you're getting in the Crop Share this week!  Squee!  Can you tell I'm Irish by descent?  So, after you're done whipping up this Leek & Potato Soup, you're still going to have potatoes left over!  While I suggest using up some in this Potato Salad with Cucumber, Rocket Greens & Smoked Salmon (this is not your Grandma's potato salad, no mayo in sight, it is an actual salad), I've also got another "fishy" recipe below that is one of my all-time favorite preparations for salmon.  The potatoes become this wonderful crispy base, and then you'll be able to throw on some of the tangelos or any leftover citrus from last week, and snag a Meyer lemon or two while you're in the store.  Then, as I mentioned in the "spoiler" e-mail earlier today, hands down one of my favorite salads of all time is this Herbed Shrimp & White Bean salad I'll link to below.  When you see how beefy the green leaf lettuce is this week, you'll have to work to use that up too, and this entree salad will be just the ticket.  We got in fresh cherry tomatoes today, so you'll be able to snag a pint of them along with some local honey to help round out the salad ingredients.

So without further ado, I give you two of my favorite recipes that are sure to help you use up this week's bounty (titles are hyper-linked to original recipes)...

Salmon & Potato Casserole With a Citrus Herb Vinaigrette via Country Living

Herbed Shrimp & White Bean Salad via Cooking Light

Thanksgiving Favorites: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Thanksgiving In Nalls’ Kitchen!

7310 Beulah Street, Franconia, VA 22315

(703) 971-4068 ~ info@nallsproduce.com

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

8-10 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed

1 cup sour cream

8 oz cream cheese, softened

7 Tbsp butter, divided

1/3 cup chives, minced

Salt & Pepper

¾ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender.  Drain and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together sour cream and cream cheese until smooth.  Add in hot, drained potatoes and beat until potatoes are fully incorporated.  Add 4 Tbsp of butter, chives and salt & pepper to taste.

Rub the inside of a 9x13 baking dish with the 2 Tbsp of butter and sprinkle bottom of pan with ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, tilting the pan to coat the sides with the cheese, as well.  Pour potatoes into the dish and dot with additional Tbsp of butter, and sprinkle remaining ½ cup of Parmesan evenly over the top.

At this point you can proceed with baking (preheat oven to 350 degrees F), or cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days.  Remove from fridge 30 minutes prior to baking to allow pan to come up to room temperature.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Makes 8 generous servings.

Happy Halloween! Don't Forget The Sock of Colcannon!

I'm part Irish and I was a goth kid, so Halloween is kinda a big deal for me.  I will always dress up and go somewhere, no matter how old I get.  But another tradition is always whipping up a big batch of colcannon, because it's just the Irish thing to do...and it's an excuse to eat potato product.  Colcannon is mashed potatoes that become a vehicle for cabbage, leeks, chives, and lots and lots of butter.  There's really no magical reason why the Irish traditionally made colcannon for Halloween other than it's made with ingredients that are in season and plentiful right now.  However, legend says that, for all  you single ladies, if you stuff a sock with colcannon into a sock and hang it on your front door tonight, it will bring love your way.  It may also bring stray animals, but hey mashed potatoes in a sock might actually be less crazy than most of the attempts we make to try and attract love.

So enjoy this most spooky of nights, and fuel your inner ghoul with our oldie but a goodie recipe for colcannon!

Colcannon

Baked Turnip & Potato Pancakes

Whether it's a boxty or a latke, I'm a big supporter of all things potato pancake.  So since I'm not a huge fan of the taste of turnips, I found a great way to disguise them is to throw them in with potato for some savory pancakes.  Turnips are great cubed and roasted, but there's and aftertaste I pick up on that I just can't escape, so masking them this way worked perfect for me.  And unlike most potato cake recipes, these are baked and not fried, so it greatly cuts down on the calories.

Baked Turnip & Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/2 lb turnips, peeled and diced into 1/4" cubes
1/2 lb potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 1/2 Tbsp scallions, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten (or 1 egg equivalent of Ener-G Egg Replacer or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce)
1 handful of shredded cheddar cheese (I use Daiya cheddar shreds for dairy-free)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (any flour of your choosing)
Coarse ground salt & pepper
2 dashes of ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a pot of lightly salted boiling water, add in turnips and potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until cubes are fork tender.  Drain off water and then use a hand masher to to mash them up.  You want it more of a rough mash, not a smooth mashed potato consistency, so hand mashing is best.

Stir in scallions, egg, cheese, flour and seasonings, until fully combined.  Take about 1/4 cup portions and pat into patties of even thickness and place onto a lightly greased baking sheet.  Don't crowd your baking sheet, so you'll have to do these in batches like you would with cookies.  Bake each set at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then flip each pancake and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until each side has crisped and is golden brown.

Serve with applesauce or sour cream for dipping on the side.

Throwback Thursday: A (Short) Trek Down Crop Share Memory Lane

So I've apparently contracted some sort of plague, and while I've attempted to kill the germs with fire (inhuman amounts of garlic sauce from Baytna Mediterranean Kitchen in the Landsdowne Plaza and troughs of green tea), I still feel like someone hit me with a bus and then backed over me for good measure.  Thus, the new posts will be few and far between tonight.  Instead here's a smattering of past recipes centered around this week's items, and once I'm feeling less plague-like, gird your loins -- your sirloins that is -- for a homemade version of a Chinese take-away classic, Beef with Broccoli.  But until then, between sips of tea, I give you some past recipes...

Lentil & Potato Soup

Spaghetti with Broccoli, Sausage & Hot Peppers

Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup

Chipotle & Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Eggplant & Pepper Curry

Leek & Potato Soup

Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup

When the Mister and I first started dating I asked him if there was one food I could make for him, what would it be.  He replied simply with, "soup."  I'd never really made soup before, other than a slapdash attempt at a curried pumpkin soup the year prior, but I'm always up for any culinary challenge and...I was blissfully in love (still am for the record!).  So I unearthed a recipe for Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup that I'd been hankering to try and with a few minor tweaks it quickly became my signature soup and one of the Mister's favourite dishes of mine.  If there's one recipe folks ask me for, it's always this one, and just so you know how good it is, there was an incident where a dear friend -- who shall remain nameless to protect his pride -- was caught standing in my kitchen, with the ladle, and eating more of the soup right out of the giant stock part.  That's love right there!

So while this post is a week late coming as we had potatoes and kale last week, file this one away in your memory banks as this comforting and hearty soup will take you through the whole winter.

And just because people need to know this...all of tonight's blogging is being done whilst watching Sharknado.  So if things start to get a little campy with tonight's posts, now you know why.  And now...the SOUPNADO!

Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

6 links turkey sausage (hot or sweet depending on your heat preference), casings removed and meat crumbled

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 - 32 oz containers of reduced sodium chicken stock

1 lb red or yellow potatoes, diced

1 bundle kale, leaves stripped from stalks and roughly chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute garlic and onions for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.  Add in turkey sausage and stir to continue to crumble.  Increase heat and cook until sausage is cooked through and browned.  Deglaze pan with white wine and stir to get any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Add in your stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat but still keep liquid at a vigorous simmer and add in your potatoes.  Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.  Reduce heat to a simmer and add in chopped kale.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes and then remove pot from heat to allow soup to finish setting up and cool slightly.  Taste broth and season with additional salt & pepper, if needed.

Potato Salad With Cucumber, Rocket Greens & Smoked Salmon

With the hot and humid temperatures this week, I've been craving light and fresh salads.  But when it comes to the Mister a typical dinner salad isn't exactly his cup of tea.  However, over the winter we stumbled upon this gem of a salad that he swears he could eat every night.  Throw some potatoes in a salad and everyone is happy!  It's a quick and easy weeknight dinner, and he even whipped it up for me when I was leveled with pneumonia early in the year (photographic proof below!).  So this will be a great way for you to use up the cucumber and potatoes in this week's share.  We adapted it from Martha Stewart's Potato Salad with Celery, Cress and Bacon, so absolutely check out her version as it is equally as delicious, and well, it has bacon in it.  'Nuff said.

Potato Salad with Cucumber, Rocket Greens & Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs medium potatoes, cubed
Coarse salt & fresh ground black pepper
7 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 packet smoked salmon, shredded into bite-sized pieces
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
3 cups rocket greens/arugula (or a spring mix)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Toss cubed potatoes in 2 Tbsp olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Spread onto a baking sheet and bake in oven for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and fork-tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and remaining 5 Tbsp olive oil, and season with salt & pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, toss together salmon, cucumber and rocket greens.  Fold in potatoes and pour dressing over   top, tossing to evenly coat.  Add additional salt & pepper to taste, if desired.

Can also use celery or thinly sliced fennel in place of cucumber to let this salad carry you through the seasons.

Adapted from Martha Stewart: (http://www.marthastewart.com/904197/potato-salad-celery-cress-and-bacon)

From The Cabbage Patch

Cabbage is one of those work horses of the vegetable world.  Whether it's serving as the base for a fresh summer coleslaw, or being pickled to use for your New Years Eve sauerkraut, it truly does take us through all the seasons.  So we wanted to bring back two of our favorite cabbage preparations for you to enjoy.  The first is a traditional Irish dish, Colcannon, that is essentially mashed potatoes with cabbage and enough butter to make even Paula Deen blush.  The second, and healthier, is a simple roasted cabbage that in our house never makes it far from the baking sheet before we can devour it.  Follow the links below to view each recipe.  Enjoy!

Colcannon

Simple Roasted Cabbage

Leek & Potato Soup

If I ever start my own political party it might have to be called the I Love Leeks Party (either that or the I Still Believe In Unicorns Party), because I adore this odd little vegetable.  Sitting somewhere in the flavor profile between garlic and onions and shallots, with green stalks that taste somewhat like green onions, yet not quite as pungent.  It's a beautifully balanced vegetable, which is what makes it ideal for this delicate Leek & Potato Soup.

I first had this soup during my time in Northern Ireland, and the chef served it with crispy leeks on top.  I've yet to master the art of making something crispy without totally incinerating it, so my hat tips to you if you can make that happen as a lovely finish to this soup.  An added perk is that this soup, while creamy and dreamy, is completely free of dairy, so it's a calorie savings on most other creamy soups.

Leek & Potato Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients: 

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

4 leeks, washed & sliced (green & white parts)

Dash of Kosher salt

¼ tsp chile powder

6 cups water

1 ¼ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & cubed

2 bay leaves

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

If you prep all your ingredients first, this soup goes incredibly quick, so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal.  And remember -- wash your leeks thoroughly, and when I say thoroughly, think akin to showering after a day at the beach.  You’re going to find grit where you never thought grit could get! 

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add in your sliced leeks, throw in a dash of salt, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft and wilted.  If you can avail yourself of some Black Truffle Salt from Spice & Tea Exchange in Old Town, you should absolutely use this in place of any other salt!  A little goes a long way and you’ll get that lovely earthy aroma from the black truffle.

Once leeks are soft, add in chile powder and stir for about 30 more seconds.  For those weary of heat, fear not, I didn’t notice that this imparted any extra heat to the soup, and while it seems like an odd ingredient, just go with it, somehow it completely works.

Pour in your water and stir to deglaze anything that might be sticking to the bottom.  Add in potatoes and bay leaves, cover pot and bring to a rolling simmer for about 15-30 minutes, or until your potatoes can be easily speared with a knife.

Remove your bay leaves and turn off the heat.  Now it’s time to puree!  If you’re lucky enough to own an immersion blender, now is the time to bust that bad boy out and go all Top Chef on your soup.  If you don’t have one, first write a letter to Santa asking for one this Christmas, then you’ll want to puree the soup in batches in a blender.  Don’t use a food processor, as I hear that will make the soup gummy.  If you’re using a blender, don’t fill it more than half-full, and be sure to cover over a lid with a kitchen towel to prevent steaming or burning yourself from renegade soup bits.  With either method, puree until smooth and if you feel the soup is too thick, you can always add more water.

Stir in black pepper, and taste to see if additional salt may be needed.  Now if you want to get fancy, and you’ve availed yourself of the aforementioned Black Truffle Salt, you can whip up some garlic truffle oil in advance to drizzle on top of your soup for an added luscious kick.  Just heat 1 Tbsp of minced garlic in oh about 1 cup of olive oil, throw in some Black Truffle Salt and let that simmer away on low heat for about 30 minutes.  Strain out your garlic, and bottle up the oil for future use.  I added a sprig of dried rosemary to my bottle, because the essence of garlic and black truffle was just not decadent enough.

Adapted from David Lebovitz’s recipe, http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/01/potato-leek-soup/