Roasted New Potato Salad with Meyer Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette

So usually I come up with recipes after craving something and viewing 30 recipes online and in print before coming up with something that's a variation on a riff of a combination of elements of anything I saw that mildly interested me.

My small CSA share has included two pounds of new potatoes--red skinned and Yukon gold--every week for the past three weeks and the farmer has informed us shareholders that we should expect to see potatoes just about every week from now until the end of the share distributions in November. Except I only eat potatoes about once a month, if that. I have made a small number of dishes with them so far because I do like potatoes, I just can't eat that many. But since I can expect many, many more, I have started to panic a bit as to how to use them all. These potatoes are delicious and thin-skinned and tiny--each one is just an inch or two in diameter. They're adorable and tempting and they taste incredible. But what could I do with about four pounds of potatoes that I had left after giving some away to a friend?

Luckily this weekend some of my family is getting together at their traditional mountain escape. I feel like I should bring something savory in addition to the sweet cake I made. Hopefully something that uses 4 pounds of potatoes.

I didn't want anything too heavy or anything incorporating mayonnaise or eggs because of the several hour car ride without a cooler.

Also, I can't get enough of the Meyer lemons I bought this week. They're incredible in everything. I even ate one as if it were an orange. Actually, that's a lie: I ate the skin too.

Roasted New Potato Salad with Meyer Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette

Roasted Potatoes

4 pounds mixed new potatoes, 1"-2" diameter, washed, larger ones halved or quartered according to your liking

3 tbsp unfiltered extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 spring onion, finely chopped

3 stalks baby celery, finely diced

Toss the potatoes with olive oil and salt in a roasting pan until coated, place in a 400 degree oven, stirring every 15-20 minutes until potatoes have crispy, golden edges and are tender on the inside. Let cool to room temperature. Toss with onion and celery.

Meyer Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped

1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt

zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon

juice of 1/2 Meyer lemon

(if you're using regular lemons, add about 1/2 tsp sugar)

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp prepared dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients in a large nonreactive bowl.

Pour roasted potato mixture into bowl with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Let stand at least 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in your refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

You'd think this would serve about 12 people, but you'd be wrong--it's much less, because people will actually eat this potato salad and ask for seconds.

Burrito Delight

I've had a craving for burritos for a while. And by a while, I mean I haven't had a burrito since approximately January 2009.

I know that what I have been craving is an Americanized version of a burrito and may not necessarily even be good. But I'm not going to pay $12.00 for something of the same description at a buffet-line style takeout place. Given the choice between eating out and cooking, I choose cooking unless my craving is for something I am unwilling to make at home, e.g., sushi for its difficult and expensive to source graded fish. Besides, I wanted something delicious.

Today's CSA pickup included spring onions, cilantro, and summer squash, among other things.

Lazy American Veggie Burrito

Squash and Onion Saute

1 tbsp canola oil

1 large spring onion, white and green parts, separated and chopped, divided

1 medium yellow summer squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4" pieces

2 shakes adobo powder (I didn't claim authenticity)

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add white parts of onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and green parts. Cook, stirring infrequently until squash is cooked through and onions are golden brown. The squash and onions should be somewhat caramelized.

"Re fried" Beans

1 tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup chopped green onion, white and green parts

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 can (I know, I know) light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 cup water (if necessary)

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until edges are golden brown (you want the pan to be a little too hot for this part), about 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add corn. Saute for a few minutes more until onions become translucent. Add beans, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and coriander and stir to combine. Heat, stirring occasionally and mashing the beans somewhat with the back of your cooking utensil. The beans will stick to the bottom of the pot, let this happen for a few minutes before stirring and letting it happen again. Continue this way for about 15 minutes, adding water if bean mixture on bottom of pot does not release by stirring contents.

Gringo Salsa

1/4 cup chopped spring onion

1 serrano pepper, stemmed

2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/4 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

salt to taste

Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor until desired consistenct is reached.

Optional Garnishes

sour cream (full fat: don't ruin a perfectly delicious meal)

cilantro

green parts of spring onion, thinly sliced

lime juice

Spread sour cream and salsa on a whole wheat 8" flour tortilla that's been heated over a gas flame for about 15 seconds per side. Add sauteed squash and onions and beans. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and lime juice, wrap, and enjoy.

Serves 4.

This recipe is vegetarian if your tortillas are made without lard and vegan if you omit the sour cream.

Summer Slaw with Peanut Dressing

A food processor is worth its weight in dirty dishes for chopping great numbers of things up. Last week it was too hot to cook, and consuming anything warmer than room temperature seemed wholly unappetizing.

I've been feeling too delicate to go to the grocery store; I can't lift the weight of a basket with food in it and I am finding it difficult and painful to maneuver the cart with one hand. Whatever, I don't mind trying. The problem is other people in the grocery store. They bump into me and my shoulder and I black out from pain. I still stand after these encounters, but I'd rather avoid them. I've tried going to the store at "off" times of day, but there isn't really an "off" time at my nearest store. (Well located, developers, well located.) Sadly, whatever psychologist the architect and client consulted to maximize customer spending influenced them to choose a very, very awkward layout. So I consulted my refrigerator/pantry for dinner.

Summer Slaw

Slaw

1/2 medium head cabbage, shredded

2 medium carrots, shredded

3 radishes, shredded

1/4 large red onion, shredded

1 atauflo mango, shredded

1/2 serrano pepper, shredded (why not?)

1/4 cup peanuts, roughly chopped

Peanut Dressing

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

3 drops toasted sesame oil

Whisk together all dressing ingredients and pour over the shredded mango and vegetables. Toss to distribute and let stand in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Top with chopped peanuts just before serving.

This would probably be even more delicious garnished with cilantro or Thai basil or toasted sesame seeds (or all three).

Those with peanut allergies can substitute cashew butter and cashews.

Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as a side

Cousa Squash and Spring Onion Couscous

1 cup chickpeas, cooked

4 baby carrots, chopped

1 1/4 cups water

3/4 cup couscous

2 tbsp olive oil

1 spring onion, white and green parts, chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced thinly

1 medium cousa squash, cubed

1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins

charmoula and feta cheese, optional to taste

Place chickpeas, carrots, and water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and boil, covered for 15-20 minutes or until carrots are soft. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add spring onion and garlic and cook over a medium flame, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add squash and saute until onions and squash are carmelized and not watery, 15 minutes. Add almonds and cranberries. Remove pot with chickpeas from heat and add couscous. Some water will have evaporated, this is fine. Stir to combine. Once couscous has absorbed all water, add to pan with squash. Heat through and serve.

This was delicious as written, but I added 1 ounce of feta cheese and 1 tbsp of charmoula to my serving.

Serves 2

Cripple Cuisine Does Borscht

After another car accident, my neck is once again constrained by a collar and I only have the energy to make really easy dishes that require almost no labor. Boiling is usually good for that. This borscht requires chopping, which I did by indiscriminately hacking away at the items on the cutting board, or you can shred the stuff (except the potato) in a food processor. I didn't peel any of the vegetables (too time-consuming and vitamin-defeating).

I also didn't have my purse, as it was left in the car following the accident, so I had no money or access to it, as banks were closed for the holiday weekend. I made this entirely out of things I already had, which wasn't much since I wasn't around last week and missed my CSA pickup.

Tip: The longer you saute the onions and tomato paste together, the deeper the flavor of the soup. Thanks to the beets, this soup tastes garden fresh despite its dependence on pantry and staple items that have probably been lying around the kitchen for several weeks.

Borscht

1 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion
1 can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
10 baby carrots, greens removed, chopped (I had these left over from the previous week's CSA)
3 potatoes, cubed
2 medium red beets and 3 small golden beets, cubed (also CSA)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
4 cans water
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped (CSA again)
salt and pepper to taste
optional:
2 tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt per serving
fresh dill for garnish

Saute onion in oil until translucent. Add tomato paste and saute about
10 minutes (chop the rest of the vegetables while this happens). Add
tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, beets, and garlic and cook 5-10 minutes.
Add water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add cabbage, salt, and
pepper. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30
minutes until vegetables are tender. To serve, ladle into bowls and top each with sour cream and dill.

This recipe makes about 8 servings, so you won't have to cook again in the near future.

Almost Authentic Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons

I wasn't about to lose another head and a half of romaine lettuce to the refrigerator this week. Ice crystals have started forming on the romaine again. Interestingly, the more delicate lettuces don't seem to be having a problem with freezing and my refrigerator seems to be harboring secret cold zones. What better way to save your farm-fresh lettuce from undelicious destruction than to make a Caesar salad? I'm not one to discriminate: I used the whole (medium-sized) head of lettuce, not just the heart. I'm a huge fan of garlic, so I add the smashed cloves to the salad after they've done their job flavoring the croutons, but most people would probably remove them.

2 cups day-old bread, sliced into crouton-sized pieces (I used a sourdough boule)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt

1 egg

1 head romaine lettuce, washed, dried thoroughly, and chopped

4 anchovy fillets packed in oil, chopped

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place bread in a single layer in a baking dish and bake at 350F until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, smash garlic cloves and place them in olive oil with salt. Remove bread from oven and place in large saute pan. Drizzle 4 teaspoons of the olive oil over bread and add smashed garlic cloves to pan. Saute over medium heat until bread is golden brown and garlic begins to soften. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. When water is boiling, add egg and coddle for 1 minute, then run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Place lettuce in a large bowl. Add remaining olive oil and toss to coat. Add anchovies, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and egg and toss until creamy. Add croutons, cheese and black pepper, toss, and serve immediately.

Serves 2-3, but I definitely ate the entire thing in one sitting (um, yeah, that's a million calories from olive oil. Plus bread. And cheese. And an egg...). But I really did walk 8.8 miles today according to Google Maps.

Carrot Top Tabbouleh

I decapitated the adorable baby carrots from my CSA share, but the greens looked too luscious to throw away. To make up for my cold-blooded murder of their bottom parts, I decided to put them to good use. I had only a few sprigs of parsley left in a glass on my windowsill, so I decided to make some tabbouleh/tabouli/taboule with carrot greens.

1/3 cup boiling water

1/3 cup bulgur wheat

tops from 1/2 bunch of baby carrots, leaves only, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

6 sprigs parsley, leaves only, chopped

6 mint leaves, chopped

2 scallions, sliced thinly

1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced

1 tbsp olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

10 grape tomatoes, halved

2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

In a glass bowl, add boiling water to bulgur wheat. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Toss together carrot tops, parsley, mint, cucumber, scallions, olive oil and lemon juice. Add bulgur wheat and refrigerate. Just before serving, toss in tomatoes and feta cheese.

Serves 2

I found that the carrot greens weren't as flavorful as the parsley, but they were tasty all the same. I might use more next time. I didn't add salt to this recipe because of the feta cheese, but feel free to add salt to taste.

Third CSA Pickup!

The take:

1 head red leaf lettuce

1 head romaine lettuce

1 head escarole

1 bunch beets - I'm beside myself with anticipation for these. They are so dark and nutritious looking

1 bunch baby carrots - They're so cute!

1 bunch red Swiss chard

1 bunch kale

1 bunch scallions - They're super young and flavorful

1 head green cabbage

The triage: I chopped the leaves off of the beets, radishes, and carrots. The cabbage and the kale can probably wait the longest. The kale might not make it past my chip making habits, though. I'll roast some of the beets and shave others raw over salad, ditto for the radishes.

I'm starting to run out of ideas for lettuce beyond salad, wraps, and some soups. (A pasta dish from the NYT made with Bibb lettuce that I recently tried making was objectively terrible.) Any ideas?

Swiss Chard and Kohlrabi Green Quiche with Goat Cheese and Pancetta

I adapted this recipe from my friend Lucas Louys, a talented cook and aspiring radio host residing in Buenos Aires. His original tarta de acelga calls for a cheese similar to Port Salut and a traditional masa pascualina for the crust. My adaptation incorporates kohlrabi greens, a sweet-tasting complement to earthy Swiss chard. This can be made vegetarian if you leave out the pancetta, which I added because I happened to have some in my refrigerator.

1 bunch swiss chard, stems and leaves separated

1 bunch kohlrabi greens, stems and leaves separated

3 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 oz. pancetta, diced

2 small orange bell peppers, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely sliced

3 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp dry)

1/2 tsp aji molido (a milder version of crushed red pepper. if you don't have aji, you can use 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more depending on your taste for spice)

1/2 tsp pimenton

3/4 tsp ground cumin

salt and black pepper to taste

6 eggs

4 oz. creamy chevre or goat cheese log

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

pie crust for 11x13 pan

1/4 cup grated pecorino

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chard stems. 2-3 minutes later, add kohlrabi stems and boil for 5 minutes. Add leaves and boil 5-10 more minutes, until stems are tender and leaves are cooked well. Drain before chopping finely in a food processor.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add carrots and pancetta and saute for 3 minutes more. Add pepper and garlic and saute until onions are carmelized, about 10 minutes. Add chopped chard and kohlrabi greens and stir to combine. Season with spices, salt and pepper. Turn off heat in pan.

In a large bowl, beat 6 eggs with salt and pepper to taste. Beat in chevre and feta cheese. Fold into chard mixture.

Scoop mixture into pie crust in a 9"x 13" pan (Having an aversion to shortening and not finding lard for a masa pascualina at my local grocery store, I used an all butter crust recipe which I'll post if someone indicates interest.) and top with grated pecorino.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until center is set and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings as an entree and many more as an appetizer.

Spicy Hake with Stir-Fried Mizuna

1 5 oz. filet hake, rinsed and patted dry

1 clove garlic, sliced thinly

1 tsp ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 jalapeno pepper, sliced into thin rings (I didn't remove the seeds)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp cilantro, minced

For the mizuna

juices from pan

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 bunch mizuna

Heat oil in one half of a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeno, stir frequently until softened. Gather together the ginger, garlic, and pepper and place hake filet, skin side up, on top. Sear for 2-3 minutes, until a golden brown crust forms and garlic and pepper are crispy. Flip and top fish with soy sauce, honey and cilantro. Cook until fish flakes easily with fork, 4-5 minutes more. Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds in dry half of pan. Remove cooked fish and place on a warmed plate. Add mizuna to liquid remaining in pan and stir fry 2-3 minutes until wilted. Toss with toasted sesame seeds and serve with fish.

Serves 1.

What do you do with kohlrabi, anyway?

Well, I roasted one.

Another got cut up into matchstick-sized pieces and went into this fabulous soup:

Not Exactly Asian Soup

For the broth:

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp ginger, peeled and grated

1 tsp canola oil

2 cups beef broth

1 cup water

1 tsp. tamari soy sauce

In a saucepan, heat canola oil on high heat and add ginger and garlic. Saute for 30 seconds, then add beef broth, water, and soy sauce. Heat to a simmer.

For the contents of the soup:

1/4 bunch mizuna, cut in 2" lengths

3 stalks bok choy, sliced crosswise into 1/2" pieces

1 small green onion, white and green parts separated, sliced thinly

1 shiitake mushroom, sliced thinly

1/2 small purple kohlrabi, cut into matchstick-sized pieces

1/2 small asian turnip, cut into matchstick-sized pieces (I wouldn't really call it julienned and shape is approximate since I have shaky hands)

Add mizuna, bok choy and white parts of green onion to simmering broth and heat for about 5 minutes. Divide the mushroom, kohlrabi, turnip, and green parts of the green onion between two dry soup bowls. Pour simmering broth with mizuna and onion over vegetables and serve immediately.

Serves 2.

This recipe is gluten free if your soy sauce does not have any gluten. Make sure to check the label.

Second CSA Pickup!

The take:

1 head romaine lettuce (RIP: it froze in my feisty, outdated refrigerator, despite being in what I thought was the warmest place in it barring the door. Any ideas? Anyone? Bueller?)

1 head red leaf lettuce (I wish this had frozen instead, since I still had some left from last week even though I have eaten large salads incorporating at least one or two leaves of this at least once every day, often twice--and I may or may not be seriously toying with the idea of making breakfast salads)

1 head Bibb lettuce

1 bunch broccoli

1 bunch Swiss chard

1 bunch purple kohlrabi

1 bunch chioggia beets

1 bunch asian turnips

1 bunch cilantro

So far I have been doing well with my pickup triage, using the things that are likely to last longer last, but I love beets and couldn't resist. I roasted a large one immediately along with a kohlrabi (root?) and an asian turnip.

I cut the greens off of the beets, turnips, and kohlrabi and stored them separately. I froze the broccoli immediately (I know, I know) because I couldn't bear to witness its nutrients slowly seeping out into the ether of the refrigerator air as I prioritized other things for consumption. The cilantro came with roots, so I put it into a glass filled with water on my windowsill. Everything else went into fresh extend bags, excepting one beet, which I rinsed off and ate raw before I even put anything else in the refrigerator.

First CSA pickup!

Steve the farmer did give fair warning that the early harvest shares would be heavy on greens. He should have clarified and said heavy and green, as the "small" share for this week included about 12 pounds of chlorophyllous delights.

So, the take:

1 bunch bok choy

1 bunch mizuna

1 head Bibb lettuce

1 head red leaf lettuce

1 bunch red Russian kale

1 bunch pea tendrils

1 head chicory

1 bunch spinach

I know I should use this blog as a vehicle to showcase original recipes incorporating the bounty that is the CSA share, but I panicked. And then copped out and made a salad with several of these new, green objects. My selection of green objects was admittedly colored (green) by which I thought would last the least amount of time improperly stored in my refrigerator. Why improperly? My kitchen doubles as a hallway (or my hallway doubles as a kitchen) and is too narrow to allow the door to open completely and allow for the refrigerator-width produce drawer to open more than an inch or so. I could talk about the poor design of the refrigerator, but that would open up a discussion of the poor design of the apartment, and that would be, well, a tangent.

I ripped up a few leaves of each of

mizuna

red leaf lettuce

bibb lettuce

spinach

and added

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 yellow onion, sliced

1/4 cucumber, sliced

1/2 tomato, sliced

2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

8 kalamata olives

black pepper

and tossed it all together. I didn't use salt since the olives and feta were salty enough for me.

Not very original, but my body was happy to have something green in it after having consumed about 10 soup dumplings and a pizza snack the day before. I'm going to need to invest in produce bags and a good salad spinner. More interesting recipes soon!