potluck potato salad

Potluck Potato Salad

This recipe is inspired from a country potato salad recipe in Susan Herrmann Loomis' Farmhouse Cookbook. I have changed up some of the details, but the basic idea remains the same: It's a hybrid between an oil & vinegar potato salad and a mayonnaise & egg potato salad with a kick of cayenne.

Ingredients:
kosher salt
4 pounds yellow baby potatoes
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground peppercorns
~2 C diced kalamata olives
~1/2 C diced red onion
~1/2 C diced cucumbers, skin and seeds removed
2 C mayonnaise
~1/2 t cayenne pepper
6 hard-boiled eggs
parsley for garnish

Procedure:
1. In boiling water with kosher salt, cook the potatoes until just tender, about 15 minutes
2. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper together.
3. Drain the potatoes and cut them into half or quarters (leaving the skin on) in several batches. Toss them with the vinaigrette until coated. It's helpful not to overtax.
4. When potatoes are cooled (and this can take awhile with such a big bowl of potatoes!), add gently mix the diced vegetables into the potato mixture.
5. Stir together mayonnaise and cayenne in small bowl, then gently coat the potato mixture with it until thoroughly incorporated.
6. I like this salad at room temperature, or it can be cooled for a few hours before serving, depending upon preference.

Serves a few dozen people and makes great lunch leftovers!

Feta-Brined Chicken (Melissa CLArk, NYtimes)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound whole chicken
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano
• 2 large lemons
• ¼ cup olive oil, more as needed
• 1 large bunch arugula or other sturdy salad greens, for serving

PREPARATION

1. The day before serving, combine 2 ounces feta, 2 teaspoons salt and 4 cups water in a blender and blend until smooth. Put chicken in an extra-large resealable plastic bag or a container large enough to submerge chicken, and cover with the feta brine. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Before cooking, remove chicken from brine and transfer to a towel-lined tray. (Discard brine.) Pat chicken dry with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, the oregano and the zest of the lemons (about 1 tablespoon). Liberally cover chicken in herb mix and gently massage entire bird. Halve lemons and place 3 halves in cavity (save remaining half for serving). Using kitchen twine, tie legs together.
4. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add oil and heat until it just smokes. Place chicken, breast-side up, in pan. Transfer entire pan to oven. Cook, basting once or twice, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.
5. Remove pan from oven, then stir remaining crumbled feta into juices in pan and stir well. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes in the pan before slicing and serving on a bed of greens, with feta-laced pan juices on top, drizzled with a little lemon juice from the reserved lemon half.

Pulled pork leftovers chili

Pulled pork leftovers chili

This recipe got its inspiration from "The Weary Chef," a handle that well describes me this week! We had a load of leftover pulled pork from our wedding weekend, and this creation turned out surprisingly well.  

~4 C leftover barbecued pulled pork

2 15 oz cans black beans

3 15 oz cans minced tomatoes and 1 15 oz can tomato sauce OR 4 cans minced tomatoes

kernels from 4 cobs roasted corn, which we had in the freezer (or ~2 C plain ole frozen corn)

~2-3 T chili powder

salt & pepper, to taste

smoked paprika, to taste

chopped cilantro and/or green onions, for garnish

Mix it all together in a soup pot and heat it up for 15-20 minutes.  We made cheese quesadillas on the side, and it was fine comfort food on a snowy night.

Wedding leftovers shepherd's pie with turkey

Wedding leftovers shepherd's pie  

Dusty and I had loads of leftover turkey and mashed potatoes after our wedding. Here's how we used some of it up (there are loads of similar recipes on the internet, I've since discovered, but I was adapting from the shepherd's pie recipe in Joy of Cooking) -- although it seems inaccurate to call it shepherd's pie, which traditionally has red meat. Two out of three of our kids liked it, which I count a success, and it seemed to get better after a day or two. Also, a bonus: it only uses only one pan!

3 T light oil (grapeseed, olive, safflower)
1 medium onion
1 stalk celery
~1 cup frozen peas
1 T fresh rosemary
1 1/2 t dried thyme
3-4 C leftover turkey, chopped
~ 4 C leftover mashed potatoes (more or less depending on how thick on the potatoes you want it)
salt
pepper
2 T flour
~1 C chicken bone broth
~1 C shredded cheddar


1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil, then sauce onto and celery until translucent. Add the peas, rosemary, and thyme and cook for another few minutes.
3. Stir in the flour to vegetable mixture.
4. Add turkey, broth, along with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until it thickens, 5-10 minutes or so.
5. Remove from heat and top with a layer of mashed potatoes, covering the meat mixture evenly.
6. Sprinkle cheddar on top.
7. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes become fluffy, then broil for another few minutes until the top becomes golden brown.

bok choy and blueberry salad

Bok Choy and Blueberry salad

I got this recipe from a local farmer's market, but I also find it here: http://portlandteamfitness.com/bok-choy-blueberry-salad/. Great late July fare in Michigan! I really like the sweetness. I think it could be served as a dessert salad, alongside a delicate (not-too-sweet) lemon or lime sorbet. 

Ingredients
2 heads of book choy
1 quart blueberries
4 (or more) scallions
2/3 C olive oil (or I think a little less would be okay)
2 T honey
4 T balsamic vinegar
Salt, to taste

Directions
1. Chop the vegetables. Combine with blueberries.
2. Combine olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar. Add to vegetable and blueberry mix. Salt to taste.

Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

Chocolate ice cream

Chocolate ice cream

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-the-best-homemade-chocolate-ice-cream-244716 
This one was a hit , although i don't necessarily agree that it is the "best" homemade chocolate ice cream. Problem: it uses sweetened condensed milk, which I think imparts a somewhat odd flavor.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chocolate-ice-cream-365792
I want to try this one next - it looks dark and rich, almost like a frozen chocolate mousse.

Quiche with grilled trout

Quiche with grilled trout

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used red)
2 small minced garlic cloves
2 T butter
~1 cup grilled trout, torn up into small pieces (can also use sliced mushrooms)
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach (or steamed fresh greens would work just fine), drained of
            water
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar

3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole milk (or half and half or cream, depending on how rich you want it)
1 1/2 t salt
1 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 large tomato, sliced
2 T parmesan or pecorino romano

Directions
1. Butter or oil a 9 inch pie pan. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Saute onion and garlic in the butter until softened. Turn off heat and stir in trout.
3. Place onion mixture in the bottom of 9 inch pie pan. Next distribute spinach on top. Then sprinkle cheddar atop spinach.
4. Mix together eggs, milk, salt, and rosemary. Pour mixture into pie pan, over other ingredients.
5. Arrange tomato slices on top to cover the surface area.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Then turn down heat to 350 and bake for another 20 minutes. 7. Sprinkle parmesan on top. Bake another 10 minutes. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving, to set up.