Not Your Ordinary Potato Salad

We've spent a very enjoyable Memorial Day spring cleaning and cooking, and we're off to a party at the T's in the cul-de-sac behind us.  I wanted to make a potato salad, but with the edge of a remoulade sauce, but without any mayonnaise or cream, and also incorporating farm veggies.  Since it was for a picnic, I also wanted something that wouldn't go bad sitting out on a buffet.  Basically, a potato salad without all the elements of traditional potato salads.  This is what I came up with.  It's savory and colorful and creamy in a completely novel way (at least to me).

This makes a large amount, probably enough to serve about 12 people.

I know I put "vegetarian" on the label, and here I go putting anchovies in -- but all you'd need to do is replace the anchovies with salt, probably.  And many vegetarians will eat fish, so I guess it would work for them.

3 lb small (but not tiny) red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

1 head of broccoli, florets only

1/2 lb snow peas, with tips snapped off and stringed

2 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped finely

6 sweet gherkins, chopped finely

2 Tbs capers, drained and chopped finely

3 Tbs grainy dijon mustard

3 oz anchovy fillets, chopped finely

2 Tbs pimentos

1/2 lb creamy goat's-milk feta or chevre

2 Tbs champagne vinegar

1. Cover the potatoes in cold water in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes, just until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork (I tend to use my sense of smell to know when they are right).
2. When the potatoes are ready, scoop them out and drain them in a colander.  Add the broccoli and snow peas to the boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes, just until bright green.  Drain.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl put all the rest of the ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended and creamy.  Let stand in the refrigerator until you're ready to mix it all up.  I kept on adding things and using a potato to taste-test.
4. When the potatoes and vegetables are cool, toss them together with the sauce in a large bowl.

Spanish Greens

In spring, Farmer Fred grows lots and lots and lots of greens. Kale, tatsoi, bok choi, swiss chard, spinach. Prior to joining the CSA, I always thought of kale as being decoration on a salad bar (that's what we used to use it for at good old Rax Restaurant). Now I discover that it's quite delicious! And very cheap and plentiful.

This recipe can be done with spinach only, or any combination of greens. Tougher greens may just take a wee bit longer to cook. Even people who don't like spinach tend to love this dish.

Serves 4

10 oz fresh spinach
6 oz other greens (kale, tatsoi)
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

1. Soak the raisins in the sherry
2. Wash the greens (a large sink-full of cold water and lots of swishing helps), removing tough stems. Spin mostly dry and chop or tear coursely.
3. Heat a very large pot, and toast the pine nuts. Remove them to a mise bowl.
4. Add the oil and heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
5. Add the greens in bunches, stirring with a wooden spoon to coat with oil and wilt.
6. Add the sherry, raisins and pine nuts. Cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes, or until the greens are silky but not overcooked.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.
   

Spanakopitakia

These have been altered to be Ms. N-friendly...she cannot digest any cow-based dairy products, but is fine with goat's milk.  Frankly, the changes to the traditional mixture make these even better, more savory, lighter and crispier.  The original recipes are from the Grecian Plate, a cookbook put out by the Greek Orthodox church of Durham, NC.  It's an excellent cookbook with detailed instructions on things as esoteric as how to dye a really, really red greek easter egg.

These and the tiropitakia are my favorite make-ahead party foods.  I can make them and freeze them well in advance, and just heat them up straight out of the freezer right before serving.

1 med. onion, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 10-oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1/2 cup chopped dill

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp salt

fresh-ground pepper to taste

1/4 lb sheep's or goat's milk feta cheese (make sure the check the label, most commercial feta in the states is made from cow's milk)

1/2 cup chevre cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 lb phyllo, thawed according to package instructions

8 oz goat's milk butter, melted OR you can use olive oil 

1. Saute onions in hot oil until soft
2. Add spinach and salt; saute a few minutes
3. Cool slightly
4. Stir in cheeses and egg, blending thoroughly
5. Prepare the triangles as directed here, using two sheets of phyllo for each set
6. Brush with a little more butter or oil
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes

You can freeze them after baking and cooling.  Reheat at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  I do not recommend freezing unbaked triangles...they tend to stick even if you are careful to layer waxed paper between them.

Meatball soup

The CSA started today!  Hooray!

I've been so excited about getting vegetables from Fred the Farmer again, and went to the Hilltop Farms website just a few days ago to see what was going to be available.  Immediately, I started thinking about a meatball soup I could make with greens, because Hub had picked up some ground beef earlier in the week.

We're trying to eat more vegetables, and also trying to save money, so my plan is to pretty much keep with the CSA vegetables as much as possible this season, supplementing with high-quality proteins and a few carbs.  Hub and Kiddo have promised me an herb garden, but I'm not holding my breath.

Makes six servings as a main course, but see notes below on how to stretch further...

1 lb lean ground beef

3 small young onion bulbs (~ 1 1/2 cups), chopped

2 handfuls dill, chopped

1 cup whole wheat panko

2 large cloves garlic, chopped finely

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 egg

2 lbs kale, tatsoi or other dark greens, torn and with large ribs removed, rinsed

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

3 cups beef broth

1. Mix the ingredients up to the egg in a bowl
   
2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large stockpot
3. Form small meatballs and brown them in the oil (they do not need to be cooked through) in three batches, adding a tablespoon of oil in between each batch.  Drain them on paper towels
4. Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pot, and add the greens
5. Saute briefly until wilted
6. Add the meatballs and the broth, bring to a simmer
7. Cover and simmer for ten minutes
8. Serve with fresh grated parmesan

Hub had two big bowls.  I think even more greens could be added and more broth, because as written it was very, very meatball-centric.  Also, adding orzo pasta or another small pasta would be lovely, we're just limiting our starches.  I almost thought there were too many onions, but in the end the broth tasted like a lovely French onion broth...quite delicious.

Lamb Chops with Fava Beans and Mint Dressing

The daffodils are up, and spring is in the air!  At least here in North Carolina...

Fava beans are a serious pain in the neck to prepare, but they are absolutely worth it at least once a year.  And since the season for them is very short, that's usually all the time I have.  By the time the next year rolls around, I remember the smooth fresh silkiness far more than I remember the hassle.  Sort of like pregnancy, I guess.

This meal will serve four if you add salad and couscous.

2 lb whole fava beans - look for big, fresh ones

1 handful mint

4 lamb loin chops - about 1 1/2 pounds

2 Meyer lemons

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil - preferably Greek

Salt & pepper to taste

1. Shell the fava beans
2. Cover the beans with cold water and set over a medium flame.  Cook until the beans are fragrant and just turning from bright green to slightly yellow.  Put into a colander and spray with cold water to stop cooking.
3. Salt the chops lightly and let them sit for a few minutes.  Broil the lamb chops on low heat for about 15 minutes on the first side, turning midway, and about 10 minutes on the second side, turning midway
4. When the beans have cooled, pinch each one to remove the tough outer skin.  Put the inner beans into a bowl.
5. Add the zest of one of the Meyer lemons and the juice of both of them to the bowl.
6. Clean and chop the mint and add it to the bowl.
7. Add the olive oil and stir briskly with a wooden spoon.
8. Serve the lamb chops with the fava bean/mint dressing and with couscous.