Meyer Lemon and Rosemary Potatoes

Little lemony roasted potato pearls.

Potatoes can sometimes make us feel blasé. Mashed? Mixed ‘em with everything possible. Baked? Ho hum. Roasted? Always. But a recent sale on meyer lemons inspired us. A simple citrusy twist with some fragrant rosemary takes these tubers to the next level. Pair them with a nice roasted chicken or some Mediterranean fare to keep things interesting.

Equipment Needed: 13 x 9 Baking Pan, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Wooden Spoon, Large Spoon

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio 

Suggested Beer Pairing: IPAs, Pale Ales, Lighter Saisons

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes (you can use any kind of potato but fingerlings or smaller potatoes make for a more interesting presentation) ($2.49/lb)
• 4 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 2 meyer lemons ($0.50-$1/each)
• 4 large rosemary sprigs ($1.50/sprig or bunch)
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($8.99/32 oz)
• 3 TBSP whole grain mustard ($4.99/8oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 415° F.
• Wash your potatoes well making sure to scrub off any dirt. Put them in the baking pan and set them aside.
• Peel and crush the garlic with the flat site of your knife. Mince it up and sprinkle a generous amount of salt on top. Using the edge of your knife, press down bit by bit on the pile of garlic crushing it into an even finer paste. When you get to the end of the pile consolidate everything and keep crushing until smooth. Toss the garlic on top of the potatoes.

Add more salt if you need extra abrasiveness.

• Wash your rosemary sprigs and remove the leaves from the stems. Give them a rough chop and toss them in with the potatoes as well. Pour in the olive oil and spoon in the whole grain mustard. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper and still up the whole shebang until everything’s evenly coated.

We like ours with a little extra mustard to keep things interesting.

• Wash the lemon and cut it into eighths, being careful to remove as many seeds as you can. Throw those suckers in with the potato mix and toss it in the oven. Let it roast up for 20 minutes and then give it a good stir. Pop it back in the oven for another 20 minute or until the spuds are fork tender. Serve with a little butter or sour cream if you desire.

Seriously, these little suckers have a ton of seeds. Remove as many as you can before you throw them in.

“Healthy” Tater Tot Hotdish

Never has something that looks so unassuming packed so much awesomeness.

As children of a midwestern mom growing up in northern New York we were raised on a steady diet of casseroles and hotdishes. As anyone from the north or a flyover state can attest, you normally associate these cream sauced-gut busters with church functions, pot lucks and subsequent naps on the couch. Call us old fashioned but that just fine by our standards. We used turkey instead of ground beef to keep things marginally healthier, but the real goal here is to even come close to what momma used to make.

Equipment Needed: 13 x 9 Baking Pan, Wooden Spoon, Frying Pan, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Suggested Beer Pairing: Stout, Extra Special Bitter or English Ale, Medium-bodied Ales

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey ($5.99/lb)
• 1 package of frozen tater tots ($4.49/32 oz bag)
• 1 medium onion ($0.99/lb)
• 2 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/32 oz)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup ($1.69/10.75 oz can)
• 1 can green beans ($1.59/14.5 oz can)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
• Put your pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Toss in the onions and garlic with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper and cook until lightly softened (about 5 minutes).
• Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey has browned lightly (about 8 minutes).

Try not to overcook the turkey, you're still gonna bake it for another 30 minutes or so.

• Once cooked, stir in the can of soup, drain the can of beans and stir them in too then pour the whole lot into your baking pan.

Trust us, this will taste much better than it looks here.

• Lay a single layer of tater tots across the top so it’s completely covered. Pop it in the oven until the tots have browned (about 35-45 minutes). Serve with ketchup and hot sauce for the true north country experience.
  

Just a gratuitous close up of tater tots because of our literal and figurative unhealthy obsession with tater tots.

Celery Root Puree

Looks like mashed potatoes. Tastes like...not mashed potatoes.

Recently our friend Gina made some pretty ridiculous ginger soy glazed short ribs and we were invited over to partake. Always the consummate guests we decided to whip up a side dish for her efforts but needed something fancier than your typical taters. Enter the celery root, a knobby ugly little subterranean veggie with a pleasant taste and personality to boot.

Equipment Needed: 3 QT Pot, Chef’s Knife, Vegetable Peeler, Cutting Board, Potato Masher (OR) Immersion Blender (OR) Food Processor

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: This is a relatively neutral side so pick a beverage that fits your main protein (e.g., reds for dark meat, whites for lighter)

Suggested Beer Pairing: Same deal, dark for dark, light for light (or you can do whatever floats your boat, we won’t stop you)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs celery root ($1.99/lb)
• 1 medium Yukon gold potato ($1.49/lb)
• 3/4 C chicken stock, divided ($3.19/QT)
• 1/4 C skim milk ($1.19/QT)
• 1 TBSP butter ($4.99/lb)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Wash and peel the potato and celery root. Cut everything into 2 inch cubes to help them cook faster.

If you're patient you can use your veggie peeler but be prepared for a bumpy ride.

• Put the chunks in your pot, cover them with water and add about 1/2 C of chicken stock and a healthy pinch of salt to start the flavor train out of the station.
• Put the lid on your pot and place it on high heat. Cook those babies until you can easily slide a fork into them (about 20).
• Drain the liquid when they’re done. If you’re using a food processor, transfer the chunks there now. If you’re mashing or using a stick blender, leave ‘em where they lay. Add a quick splash of chicken stock and milk along with the butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash or blend until smooth and add more liquid if things are still a little chunky.

You can use vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian but tend to like a little eau de poulet.

Swedish Meatballs with Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Our ultimate comfort food.

This recipe is what we think of when someone says “meat and potatoes.” A childhood favorite of ours, these Swedish meatballs come by way of Minnesota where our 93 year-old grandmother has been churning out tasty two-biters for three generations. We took a couple of liberties in sprucing up of the mashed potatoes but there’s no need to mess with perfection otherwise.

Equipment Needed: 13 x 9 Baking Pan, 2 Mixing Bowls, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Cheese Grater

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 6-8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Old Vine Zinfandel, Shiraz, Rioja, Sauvignon Blanc, Glögg

Suggested Beer Pairing: Brown Ale, Porter, Stout

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef ($3.99/lb)
• 12 oz tube of breakfast pork sausage (about $3.99)
• 4 pieces of sliced bread (about $2.99/loaf)
• 2 eggs ($2.79/dozen)
• 1 1/2 C milk divided ($1.19/QT)
• 6 potatoes ($1.49/lb)
• 3/4 C sour cream, divided ($1.49/16 oz)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup ($1.69/10.5 oz can)
• 1/3 C grated onion (about 1 small onion)($0.99/lb)
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary ($1.50/bunch)
• 3 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 2-3 TSP allspice ($2/2.5 oz jar)
• 2-3 TSP sage ($2/2.5 oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Mashed Potato Preparation:

• Wash the potatoes and remove any eyes or bad spots. Cut then into halves (or quarters if they’re big) and put them in the pot.
• Peel the garlic and cut it in half as well. Cover the pot and put it over high heat. Once it comes to a boil add the garlic and rosemary sprigs and cook until you can easily slide a fork into the potatoes (about 20-30 minutes).
• When they’re cooked, drain the potatoes and remove the rosemary sprigs (you can take the garlic out if you please, but we leave it in). Add 1/4 C of sour cream, about 3 TBSP of milk and 2 TBSP of butter. Mash and mix thoroughly.

Meatball Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Tear your pieces of bread in half and put them in a mixing bowl. Pour in about a cup of milk so the pieces are covered evenly and let them soak for about 10 minutes.

Soak in the wholesome goodness.

• As the bread is soaking add the beef and pork sausage to another mixing bowl. Grate in the onion, crack the eggs in and add the sage, allspice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Squeeze some of the excess milk out of the bread you’ve been soaking (you want the pieces to still be pretty soggy) and tear the pieces into the meat and spice mix.

A cheese grater provides the right consistency so your onion mixes better.

One handed!

• Using your hands squish and mix everything together so it’s evenly distributed; there’s no other way to do this so get in there and play with your food a bit.
• Now the best part. You want to make sure the seasoning is right since it’s hard to readjust once the meatballs have been cooked. To do so, pull out a small lump of the meat mix (about the size of a quarter and 1/2 inch thick) and put it on a plate in the microwave. Cook it on high for about 45 seconds, let it cool and taste it. It shouldn’t be too salty, sage and allspice should be evenly balanced and there should be just enough pepper for a little bite. Adjust your seasoning to taste and retest if necessary.
• When you’re ready to bake them take a little less than a palmful of meat and roll it into a ball. The ideal size for Swedish meatballs is one to two bites, so make these smaller than you would if you were making their Italian cousins. Pop them in your baking pan and throw those bad boys in the oven for 30 minutes.

Roll 'em up, but be careful not to pack them too densely.

• When 30 minutes is up, mix the cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 C of sour cream and 1/4 C of milk together thoroughly. Pour the sauce over the top of the meatballs and make sure you’ve coated each one evenly. Pop them back in the oven for another 10 minutes to finish cooking. Serve with lingonberry jam, cranberry sauce (the closest American equivalent) and/or spicy mustard.
  

New England Clam Chowder with Cheesy Biscuits

Everything you could ever want in a bowl of creamy goodness.

Debating which type of clam chowder is better is but a fool’s errand since everyone knows that New England-style is the one chowder to rule them all. This hearty, creamy classic is easier to make than you would probably imagine and few things satisfy more when the mercury drops. Add the clams towards the end to prevent them from getting too chewy.

Equipment Needed: 8 QT Pot, Baking Sheet, Mixing Bowl, Cheese Grater, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Wooden Spoon, Kitchen Shears, Vegetable Peeler, Rolling Pin, Cookie Cutter, Whisk, Parchment Paper

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Oaky Chardonnay, Rioja, Pinot Noir

Suggested Beer Pairing: Stout, Porter, Scotch Ale

Ingredients:

• 2 cans chopped clams ($1.99/6.5 oz can)
• 8 oz clam juice ($1.99/bottle)
• 6 strips of bacon ($6.99/lb)
• 4 large potatoes ($0.99/lb)
• 2 medium onions ($0.99/lb)
• 4 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1 can of sweet corn ($1.69/11 oz)
• 1 QT 2% milk, divided ($1.19/QT)
• 1 pint heavy cream ($2.99/pint)
• 2 C Bisquick mix ($4.19/40 oz box)
• 1/2 C cheddar cheese ($5.99/lb)
• 1 TBSP crushed red pepper ($3.50/2.5 oz jar)
• 2 TSP dried thyme ($3.50/1.5 oz jar)
• 1/2 TBSP cayenne pepper ($3.50/2 oz jar)
• 2 bay leaves ($3/0.5 oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Biscuit Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Whisk together 2 cups of Bisquick and 2/3 of a cup of milk until you’ve got a soft dough with no pockets of mix or clumps.
• Grate in 1/2 a cup of cheddar cheese and stir a bit more.

Grate the cheese in before you knead the dough for better cheddar distribution.

• Spread about 3 tablespoons of Bisquick on your cutting board so the dough doesn’t stick.With your rolling pin, roll it out flat until it’s about 1/2 an inch thick. Use your cookie cutter to cut out biscuits and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If you don’t have parchment paper, just grease the baking sheet thoroughly with butter.

Insert knead/need pun here.

• Sprinkle a little bit of salt and crushed red pepper on the top of the biscuits. Pop those puppies in the oven and bake ‘em for about 9 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Set aside to cool and await their chowder-complementing fate.

Chowder Preparation:

• You’ll want to do all of your prep work beforehand so all you have to do is add ingredients once you get the soup base going. Start by dicing your onions and mincing the garlic.
• Next, scrub the potatoes, remove the eyes and cut them into 1 inch cubes. We like to leave the skins on but if that’s not your thing then peel before you cube them.

Uniformly cube the potatoes for even cooking and spoon-friendly eating.

• Put your pot over medium heat. Using the kitchen shears cut the bacon strips into 1/4 inch pieces and crisp them up for about 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook everything down for another 5-7 minutes until the veggies are soft.

Pretend you're surprised that we added bacon.

• Drain the corn and add it to the mix. Next, add the potato chunks, the rest of the quart of milk, cream, clam juice and bay leaves. Throw in your thyme, cayenne pepper and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper for good measure.

If you love your cardiologist, go ahead and use all cream instead of cutting it with milk.

• Bring everything to a boil, stirring occasionally. When you’ve reached your boiling point add the clams, reduce to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Be sure to remove the bay leaves before serving. Season to taste, adding a little Garnish with some fresh parsley if desired and at least two biscuits if you know what’s good for you.

Potato Salad with Peas

A side dish for all seasons.

This picnic classic makes the easy transition from summer staple to tailgate treat (bonus: if you can boil water you can make this dish). We were fortunate enough to have potatoes, onions and peppers from our CSA to bring the freshness. Peas and dill keep things light(ish) while a hit of mustard keeps your tongue interested.

Equipment Needed: 3 QT Pot w/lid, 2 QT Pot w/lid, 1 QT Pot,  Serving Bowl or Casserole Dish, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Spoon

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 6

Suggested Wine Pairing: Grassy, mineral-y whites to cut through the dressing

Suggested Beer Pairing: Whatever’s in the cooler

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs potatoes ($0.99/lb)
• 1 medium onion ($0.99/lb)
• 1 green pepper ($1.99/lb)
• 10 oz frozen peas ($1/10 oz package)
• 2 eggs (about $2/dozen)
• 1/4-1/2 C mayonnaise ($3.99/15 oz)
• 3 TBSP white vinegar ($1.99/32 oz)
• 3 TBSP deli/brown mustard ($1.99/12 oz)
• 1 TBSP sugar ($1.39/lb)
• 2 TSP dried dill ($3.50/2.3 oz jar)
• Garlic powder ($1.99/2.5 oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Scrub and wash the potatoes, removing any of the eyes. Leaving the skin on, quarter your spuds and put them in the 3 QT pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until a fork can slide into a chunk without resistance (about 30 minutes).
• While the potatoes are boiling put your eggs in the other pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat off, cover and let them sit for 12 minutes in the hot water. Drain and pop them in the fridge until you’re ready to mix the salad.
• While everything else is boiling (we told you there’d be boiling) cover the peas in water in the 1 QT pot and cook per the instructions (usually bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes).
• As you’re waiting for the eggs, tubers and peas in the jacuzzi dice your onion and pepper. Once everything is cooked and drained, pop it in the fridge for an hour to cool everything down.

Be sure to remove the seeds and ribs from the inside before dicing.

• Once they’re cooled, dice the potatoes into 1 inch chunks and toss them in the serving bowl or dish.

Cut into equally forkable pieces.

• Shell and cut the eggs into tiny pieces and toss them in along with the peas, onions, mayo, mustard, dill and a couple of dashes of garlic powder. Mix together and more mayo or mustard until everything’s evenly coated; salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy mustard gives the salad a kick to keep you coming back.

Shepherd’s Pie

It's one big hug for your stomach.

This is easily one of our top five favorite comfort foods; we always go back for seconds. For our inaugural recipe we used homegrown carrots and took a couple of liberties with the fillings. Dark beer helps add flavor and complexity to the dish while peas provide substance and sweetness.

Equipment Needed: Casserole Dish, Frying Pan, Wooden Spoon, 3  QT Pot, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Potato Masher, Serving Spoon

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 6

Suggested Wine Pairing: Old Vine Zinfandel, Malbec, Chianti, Cabernet Franc

Suggested Beer Pairing: Stout, Porter, Brown Ale

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs potatoes ($0.99/lb)
• 1 lb ground lamb ($5.99/lb)
• 1 C frozen peas ($1/10 oz)
• 2 medium carrots (we used the fresh crop from Momma Brown’s garden; $1.99/lb)
• 1 medium onion ($0.99/lb)
• 2 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 2 TBSP fresh rosemary ($1.50/bunch)
• 1 1/2 C dark beer (we used a Lexington Brewing Company Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout; price varies)
• 1 TBSP light brown sugar ($1.39/lb)
• 1 TBSP smoked paprika ($4.50/2.3 oz jar)
• 1 beef bouillon cube ($1/2.3 0z package)
• 3 TBSP corn starch ($1.89/16 oz)
• 1-2 TSP cayenne pepper ($3/2 oz jar)
• 2 TBSP butter ($4.99/lb)
• 1/4 C milk ($1.19/QT)
• Extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and wash the potatoes and cut into 2 inch chunks. Toss those spuds in your pot, cover them with water, bring to a boil and keep them there until you can slide a fork in them without resistance (about 30 minutes)
• Put your frying pan over medium-low heat and coat the bottom with olive oil.
• Mince the garlic cloves and the rosemary, add to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes until it starts to brown lightly. Add the ground lamb, cayenne, paprika, and a healthy dose of salt and pepper. Cook the lamb until it’s about medium rare, stirring occasionally (should take about 6 minutes).

Mince the rosemary finely so no one ends up chewing giant pieces.

• While the lamb is cooking, dice the carrots and onion. Mix together the beer and the bouillon cube. As the meat starts to brown, reduce the heat to low and add the onions, peas and carrots.

Dice the carrots into bite-sized pieces.

• Cook for another 2 minutes and pour in the beer mix, brown sugar and corn starch, stir everything together and cook on low until the sauce thickens (10-15 minutes). Adjust the seasoning as necessary and when you’re satisfied pour it into the casserole dish.

Using a nice stout will help develop sweet and smoky gravy.

• When your potatoes are done, drain them, add your butter and milk and proceed to mash and whip until creamy.

Use fattier milks for richer potatoes.

• Spoon them over the top of the lamb mixture and cover it completely in an even layer. Pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes have browned. Serve keep an eye out for wolves.

Spread the potatoes evenly over the top.

Extra Credit: If you so desire (and we do from time to time) top with a grated sharp cheddar or Parmagiano for an extra hit of richness.

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Brussel Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes

A little plate of happiness.

This comfort food menagerie came together during “cleaning out the freezer/pantry” week but reinforces how the simplest meals can sometimes be the best. Don’t be intimidated by roasted chicken, simply pop it in the oven and let the garlic butter and lemon slices marinate it as it cooks. Turkey bacon helps keep the brussel sprouts company and the mashed potatoes are, well…a starchy standby. Make each dish by itself or pull together a familiar feast with all three.

Equipment Needed: Roasting Pan, Baking Sheet, Frying Pan, 5 Qt Pot, Cutting Board, Chef’s Knife, Meat Thermometer, Potato Masher, Colander

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Suggested Beer Pairing: Lighter Ales, Lagers, Pilsners

Ingredients:

• 1 3-5 lb chicken (usually about $1.50/lb)
• 2 lbs potatoes ($0.99/lb)
• 1 16 oz bag frozen brussel sprouts ($2)
• 6 strips turkey bacon ($4.29/12 oz)
• 2 lemons ($0.50/each)
• 3 TBSP butter ($4.99/lb)
• 4 TBSP white vinegar ($1.99/32 oz)
• 1/4 C half & half (it’s all we had; you can use milk or heavy cream if you prefer)($1.69/pint)
• 6 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• About 4 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• 2 TBSP Herbes de Provence ($3.50/1.25 oz jar)
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ($12.99/lb)
• Salt
• Pepper

Chicken Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Slice the lemons into thin discs and mince three of the garlic cloves.

Slice the lemons about 1/16 of an inch thick. Get a ruler, we'll wait.

• Mix 2 TBSP of butter with the garlic and stuff it underneath the skin of the chicken. Be sure to separate the skin and get butter in every nook to ensure a properly basted bird. Insert lemon rounds into the spaces as well and place any additional pieces on the roasting rack (or bottom of the pan) as a bed for the chicken.

User room temperature butter for easier mixing.

Put as many lemon slices under the skin as you can fit for even juicing.

• Sprinkle salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence all over the skin and place the chicken in the oven for about an hour or until the internal temperature reads 165° F. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before carving to let the juices redistribute.

Let that bird rest; it's had a long day

Brussel Sprout Preparation:

• About 20 minutes before the chicken’s done, place the brussel sprouts on the baking sheet and coat evenly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once. (Use a 400° F oven if you’re making them separately)

Oven-ize those sprouts.

• While your mini cabbage is roasting, cut the turkey bacon into thin strips, fry it and drain it. Mince the other three cloves of garlic and brown them in the remaining turkey bacon grease (you may actually need to add a little olive oil to the pan).

It's fake, but it's still called bacon so it gets a picture.

• Once the brussel sprouts are done, add all of the ingredients to the frying pan and toss with white vinegar. Serve with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.

Add a tangy contrast to the bitterness and turkey-ness

Mashed Potatoes Preparation:

• Wash and remove the eyes from your potatoes. You can peel them if you like, but we prefer to leave the skin on.

Cut your potatoes into equal-sized chunks for even cooking.

• Quarter the potatoes and place them in your 5 Qt pot. Cover with water, put on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Once the potatoes are boiling, cook for about 25-30 minutes until you can easily slide a fork into them. At that point drain the spuds, add a tablespoon of butter and the half and half and go to town with the masher. Spoon and consume.

You can be more or less indulgent using cream or milk.

(Sort of) German Potato Salad

A blitzkrieg for your taste buds.

Purists will be mad at us for the liberties we took with this traditional dish but they’re boring people anyway. Once again we’ve scientifically  proven that caramelized onions and blue cheese can make anything better. Impress your friends and make new ones with this sure winner at your next BBQ.

Equipment Needed: 8 QT Pot, Frying Pan, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Serving Bowl or Baking Pan, Fork

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Whatever you’re drinking

Suggested Beer Pairing: Whatever you’re drinking

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs potatoes ($0.99/lb)
• 2 large onions ($0.99/lb)
• 8 strips bacon ($6/lb)
• 1/2 C white vinegar ($1.99/32 oz)
• 1/4 stick butter ($4.99/lb)
• 4 TBSP honey ($4.25/12 oz)
• 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar ($6/17 oz bottle)
• 8 oz. blue cheese (about $7/lb)
• Garlic powder (about $2/2.5 oz jar)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Wash and remove the eyes from your potatoes. Leave the skin on and quarter each potato.

 

Cut them taters.

• Toss the spuds in your pot, cover with water, put on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Once the potatoes are boiling, cook for about 25-30 minutes until you can easily slide a fork into them.
• While the potatoes are cooking put your frying pan over low heat. Cut the onions into quarters and then into thin slices cross-wise. Put the butter in the skillet and add the onions and a healthy dose of salt and pepper. After about 5 minutes of cooking add the honey and balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook over low heat for another 15 minutes or so.

Sweeten the deal with some honey.

• Once the onions are soft and tasty set them aside and, using the same frying pan, turn the heat to medium and cook and drain your bacon.

No way! A picture of bacon? On this blog?

• Drain the potatoes and let them cool for about 15 minutes; you want them firm so you can cut them easily and they still retain their shape.
• As the taters are cooling, cut your bacon into thin pieces and toss with the onions. Then proceed to cut your kartoffeln (that’s German for potato, natch) into about 1/2 inch chunks. Toss with the white vinegar, bacon, onions and just a dash of garlic powder. Stir in the blue cheese and serve warm. Bonus points for heating it up a bit in the oven so the cheese softens. Guten appetit!

Garlic and Rosemary Potato Chips

Oh puuuurple tay-ters majesty....

Little Red Frying Hood (ok, we're reaching on that one).

We’re suckers for a good impulse buy, and on a recent stroll through the Union Square Greenmarket we happened upon a pile of potatoes that screamed, “Make potato chips out of us!” How do you resist red thumb and purple majesty potatoes? These spuds are justification in themselves for buying a mandoline. The only better-looking or more delicious way to kick a meal into gear is with an underwear model.

Equipment Needed: Candy Thermometer, 5 QT Pot, Mandoline (or) Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, Mixing Bowl, Fry Strainer (or) Slotted Wooden/Metal Spatula (or) Tongs, Baking Sheet, Paper Towels

Serving Suggestion: Family style (if you can keep people out of the kitchen while they cool)

Servings: 6-8

Suggested Wine Pairing: Whatever you’re drinking

Suggested Beer Pairing: Whatever you’re drinking

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. potatoes ($.99-$2/lb, use Russets if you can’t find something fancier)
• About 2 Qts. Canola oil (around $3/48 oz)
• About 3 tbsp Dried rosemary ($4/3 oz jar)
• About 2 tbsp Garlic powder ($2/2.25 oz jar)
• About 3 tbsp Coarse sea salt (about $3/22 oz)

Preparation:

• Pour the canola oil into your pot and place on the stove over medium-high heat. Set the candy thermometer on the side and heat the oil to between 325°-350° F.
• Prepare your draining/cooling area by lining a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels.
• Wash and scrub the potatoes, removing any eyes or rotten spots. Keeping the skin on, slice the potatoes into discs about 1/16th of an inch thick. If you’re using a mandoline, be sure to use the hand guard. If you’re using a knife, count your fingers when you’re done.

Seriously, watch your fingers.

• In batches of about a handful, GENTLY, place the chips into the oil (splattering hot oil on yourself is a lesson you only need to learn once). Fry for 2 minutes, flip them if you can with your grabbing implement, and fry for another two minutes.

Slide those puppies in and watch 'em sizzle.

• Using your grabber, pull the chips out of the oil and place on the paper towels to drain. Wait for the oil to come back up to temperature and repeat.
• Make sure to flip your chips to get all of the excess oil off; once they’ve drained, throw them in a mixing bowl. Crush up the rosemary and sprinkle in with your garlic and salt. Toss everything together, seasoning to taste, and serve (hopefully to your model friend).

Toss until bursting with flavor.

Extra Credit:

Plain old ketchup will definitely do the trick if you want to dip these chips, but for some extra joie de vivre, mix a few tablespoons of mayo with a few dashes of lemon juice and hot sauce to taste.

Get hip to the dip.