Shrimp and Tarragon Crostini

I love crostini.  Maybe it has something to do with my love for toast, which you can read about here if you are interested.  And even though I flirted with silver dollar pancakes shamelessly in terms of being the vehicle for holding delicious little spoonfuls of various things.  But crostini, you will still always be first in my heart, especially when you are topped with a delicious mixture of shrimp and tarragon.

Crostini is super-simple to make.  Just slice up a loaf of your favorite French bread (or Italian bread if you are the kind that likes your crostini substantial. Slice it pretty thin...as close to 1/4 inch as you can get without driving yourself crazy.  Brush them with a little olive oil and pop them on a cookie sheet and into a 400 degree oven just until they are getting golden brown - 5 to 10 minutes.  After that, the possibilities are endless, but in this case I went with a quick little mixture of cooked chopped shrimp, mayo, fresh chopped tarragn, fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Once the crostini are cooled a little, just drop some of the shrimp mixture onto each one and there you go. 

Sometimes the easiest things are just the best!

Shrimp and Tarragon Crostini, adapted from Real Simple

• 24 thin slices of French bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 ounces chopped cooked shrimp
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 400.  Brush bread slices with olive oil and bake until just golden brown, 5-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

2. Combine remaining ingredients to make the shrimp mixture and top each crostini with spoonful of this.  You're done!

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Low Country Boil Kabobs

One of the many, many advantages of being married to a Southern man is that you learn about the complete fabulousness of something called Low Country Boil.  It's also sometimes known as Frogmore Stew (based on the hometown of the National Guardsman that invented it).  The town of Frogmore was eliminated by the Postal Service and incorporated into the nearby Beaufort, and the name of the recipe officially changed to Low Country Boil.  This is your culinary history lesson of the day.

Anyway, the way this usually works is that you boil up baby potatoes with a seafood seasoning, and then add the sausage, the corn and then the shrimp as time rolls on so that everything is cooked up perfectly.  Then you drain the whole thing and dump it all onto a platter and let folks dig in...forks optional.  We always have this a few times during the summer, so when I saw this version that called for adding the grill into the mix, my antenna went up.  I always do love to shake up a recipe that I've made a hundred times before.

In this version, you still boil up the potatoes, but after they are done you thread them onto skewers with uncooked large shrimp, chunks of andouille sausage, and pieces of corn on the cob that you have cut into 1-2 inch sections.  Now, the most challenging part of this entire thing is getting the dang corn sections on to the skewers.  The center of corn cobs?  HARD.  So the Southern husband sprang into action...he took each one and hammered a nail into it and then pulled it out - making a perfect little hole for me to slip it right onto the skewer.  There is nothing that makes this man happier than the chance to use his workshop skills in the kitchen.

Once everything is on the skewer, you brush it with a mixture of melted butter and Old Bay seasoning.  Or, if you are like me and THOUGHT you had a container of Old Bay and then remembered too late that you threw it out in a frenzy of purging the spice cabinet of old spices, you can fake it by putting together the mixture I found by clicking here.

Now pop the skewers onto the grill for as long as it takes to cook the shrimp and lightly char the corn - 5-8 minutes should do it.  Now you not only have the wonderfulness of Low Country Boil, but with the added flavor of the grill. 

Life is very, very good.

Low Country Boil Kabobs, from Everyday Food

1/2 pound baby potatoes

2 ears of corn, cut into 1 inch sections

1/2 pound cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1 inch rounds

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deviened

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for about 12 minutes or until tender.  Drain and cool slightly.

2. Thread skewers with potatoes, shrimp, corn and sausage.

3. Combine melted butter and Old Bay and brush onto skewers.  Grill on medium high for about 5-8 minutes or until shrimp is cooked and corn is lightly charred.  Serve immediately.

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Buttermilk Bacon Pralines

So, those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know all about my wild love affair with bacon.  The bacon cinnamon rolls.  The bacon pancakes.  The bacon cheddar bagel panini.  I thought I knew what true love was, bacon-wise.

And then one fateful day, I made buttermilk bacon pralines, and the universe shifted...bacon-wise.  As the devoted wife of a Southern man, I've had my share of pralines, those sugary, pecan-filled circles of heaven.  But until I ran across this recipe in Screen Doors and Sweet Tea,  I didn't know what a praline truly could be.  I actually didn't think I ever would or could make a praline.  But the bacon called out to me, and one afternoon I found myself with a candy thermometer, some pecans and a plate of bacon, and there was no turning back.

By the way, a quick word about candy thermometers.  I used to be terrified of them.  I would get to a recipe that looked fabulous, see the words "candy thermometer" and then wistfully turn the page.  And then I bucked up and bought this one, and my life has changed for the better, and believe me...if I can do it, so can you.

Back to the pralines.  I promise you, they are SO simple, and once you make them you will wonder how you lived so long in this life without them.  All you do is boil up some sugar, some buttermilk and a few other things for about 20-30 minutes or until your trusty candy thermometer tells you it is ready.   Then stir in some pecans, some vanilla, some orange peel and the BACON.  Drop it by spoonfuls onto parchment paper or a Silpat, and in about 30 minutes you will be changed forever.  While they are of course the perfect little dessert, the original recipe suggests they are equally perfect with a glass of wine before dinner...and I'm here to tell you that if you try that, you might not even NEED dinner.

 Buttermilk Bacon Pralines, from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook 

• 
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1. In a heavy deep saucepan, combine the sugars, the buttermil, corn syrup, baking soda and salt.  Cook slowly over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the mixture reaches 235 on a candy thermometer.

2. Remove from heat and add butter, vanilla, pecans, orange zest and bacon and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy.  Be very careful - this stuff is HOT.

3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a silicone mat or buttered parchment paper.  Let stand for 30 minutes or until cool and firm.

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Spring Vegetable Risotto

Yes, I realize it is a little late in the year to be posting something called Spring Vegetable Risotto.  I could have completely cheated and changed the title of the recipe to Summer Vegetable Risotto, because honestly, all the wonderful veggies that make up this scrumptious dish are around all summer long, but I have to be straight with you and just admit that I am, well, a little behind in terms of getting my recipes up in a timely manner.    That's what I get for being an obsessive cook!  But truly, you can make this one anytime between April and September and still get the benefit of all the fabulous flavors.  There are peas...

I actually used fresh ones because I had some, but the recipe calls for frozen, so don't worry if you hadn't planned to spend your day shelling peas.  (Full disclosure: the Southern husband shelled the peas.  My honesty continues.)

There's also asparagus...

And leeks.

Side note: when I was a kid, either my mom or my grandmother, can't remember which,  had a cookbook entitled First You Take a Leek.  At the time, my brother and I thought it was the most hysterical thing we had ever heard of, because a) we were probably 9 and 11 years old, and b) because we were pretty sure that my mom/grandmother had no idea what the title REALLY meant.  It's actually still in print, if anyone wants to buy a copy and let their tween-age kids feel superior. 

Anyway, this great risotto comes from the folks at Cooks Illustrated, who figured out that if you simmer some of the vegetable trimmings that you were going to toss out in the chicken broth...the asparagus ends, the tough green ends of the leeks...your risotto is going to taste AMAZING.  And as always, they were totally, perfectly right.  It's one simple extra step that makes a huge difference.

So, you have all summer to try this one...but do try it before the leaves start falling.

Spring Vegetable Risotto, from Cooks illustrated

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves , stems reserved
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves , stems reserved
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon

• 1 pound asparagus , tough ends snapped off and reserved, spears cut on bias into 1/2-inch thick pieces
• 2 medium leeks , white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and sliced thin (about 4 cups), 2 cups roughly chopped greens reserved
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
• 3 cups water
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving
• 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

1.  Combine parsley, mint and lemon zest in small bowl and set aside.
2. Chop tough asparagus ends and leek greens into rough 1/2-inch pieces. Bring chopped vegetables, reserved parsley and mint stems, broth, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return strained broth to saucepan; cover and set over low heat to keep broth warm.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add asparagus spears, pinch of salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add peas and continue to cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate and set aside.
4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add leeks, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. When wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.
6. Stir in about 1/2 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 3 or 4 times until rice is al dente. Off heat, stir in remaining tablespoon butter, Parmesan, and lemon juice; gently fold in asparagus and peas. If desired, add up to 1/4 cup additional hot broth to loosen texture of risotto. Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with herb mixture and passing Parmesan separately.

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Open Face Sandwiches with Avocado, Egg and Smoked Salmon

Yes, I realize that this sandwich has a ridiculously long name.  I really need to come up with something clever to call it, like the Egg McSalmon, or the Guacascramble.  Not that those are clever at all.  I just can't wrap my brain around it, so in the meantime I'm just going to have to call it that crazy name above, and tell you that regardless of what you name it, it still tastes delicious!  I made it on one of those nights where I just couldn't bear to spend more than the 3 minutes it took me to scramble the eggs standing anywhere near a hot cooking device.  Yep, it was 98 degrees outside.  98.  Degrees.  

On days like that, you are pretty much reduced to salads and sandwiches, which is pretty much fine with me, as I love an excuse for Sandwich Night.  In an ideal world, this particular sandwich is AMAZING if you grill the bread on an actual grill...it adds that slightly charred, crispy taste and texture that you can only get on, well, a grill.  But even I couldn't bring myself to send the Southern husband out to the grill, what with the 98 degrees and all.  Nope, this version went in the toaster, which is not quite as wonderful but a whole lot more humane.  When it is 98 degrees.

Anyway...while your bread is grilling or toasting, scramble up a few eggs and let them cool a little.  Mash up an avocado with a little lime juice.  Now you are about two minutes from a rocking great sandwich that goes like this: bread, spread with mashed avocado, topped with scrambled eggs, garnished with some strips of smoked salmon, with a little fresh ground pepper on top. 

Sandwich Night.  Love it!

Open Face Sandwiches with Avocado, Egg and Smoked Salmon, adapted from Bon Appetit

• 4 slices sourdough bread
• Olive oil
• 1 avocado
• Lime juice
• 2 eggs
• Smoked salmon, sliced into strips
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Brush both side of bread with olive oil, and either grill them on both sides or toast them until they are golden brown.  Toasting them is easier, but grilling them gives them an out of this world grilled taste.

2. Mash avocado with a few squeezes of lime juice.  Set aside.

3. Beat the eggs and then scramble them in a skillet over medium heat until they are just set.

4. Assemble sandwiches as follows: spread avocado over each slice of bread, top with eggs and a strip or two of salmon, and grind a little black pepper over all.

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Baked Potato with Ricotta and Tomatoes

There is just something so comforting about a baked potato, don't you think?    Add in the fact that baked potatoes are actually GOOD for you, and you are looking at one satisfying lunch or supper, all in one easy to make package.

In this case, I rubbed my potatoes with a little olive oil and popped them in the oven while I made a batch of fresh ricotta (side note: I love making ricotta cheese.  It is SO easy, and tastes so fresh and good.  But as always, feel free to use store-bought ricotta. )  I roasted up some cherry tomatoes as well, and by the time all that was done the potatoes were nice and tender.  Then all you do is split them open, spoon on some ricotta, scatter the tomatoes on top, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle some fresh thyme on top.  That's all you need to do to be in baked potato heaven. 

And trust me, if you can't get into Bacon Heaven, Baked Potato Heaven is the next best place.

Baked Potato with Ricotta and Tomatoes, adapted from Real Simple

• 2 russet potatoes
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon and one tablespoon of olive oil plus extra for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh thyme
• 1 cup fresh ricotta

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Rub the potatoes with a teaspoon of olive oil, place on a baking sheet and bake until they are tender when pierced with a knife, about one hour or so.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and toss the tomatoes with a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of coarse salt and a grinding of black pepper.  15 minutes before the potatoes are done, pop the sheet of tomatoes in there with them and roast them until they start to split.
3. Split the potatoes (you can either cut them in half for four people or just make an X down the middle and push them open for two especially hungry people).  Top with ricotta cheese, roasted tomatoes and fresh thyme.

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Hawaiian Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I think the only thing possible better than pulled chicken barbecue is pulled chicken barbecue that cooks by itself all day long in the slow cooker with pineapple and onion and a jar of spicy barbecue sauce that you forget about until you walk in the door at the end of the day and smell pulled chicken barbecue that is already cooked and ready to eat.

Did you get all that?

Good, because every word is true.  But don't take MY word for it...haul out that slow cooker that I know you have somewhere and try it for yourself.  As I write this I am keeping an eye on the thermometer, which is inching its way up towards 90 degrees.  And when it is THAT hot out, there is nothing and nobody who can make me turn on my stove or my oven.  But the slow cooker...that's another story.  Because it cooks low and slow, whatever you pop into it is tender and wonderful, and your kitchen stays cool.   Summer is for salads and slow cookers...and this recipe is as easy as it gets.  Toss some nice big boneless chicken breasts into the cooker, along with a can of drained chopped pineapple, some onion, and a jar of your favorite bbq sauce.  (For this recipe, I like a sauce that is more on the tangy spicy side, since you have a sweet flavor coming from the pineapple.)  Now go away and frolic in the 90 degree weather for a while.

When you come back, your chicken will be tender enough to shred into delicious bite size pieces...shred it all up, then return it to the liquid left in the slow cooker and mix it all up.  Now what I usually do next is this: put a pile of soft hamburger rolls in a basket by the slow cooker, along with a pitcher of warm bbq sauce for anyone who likes a little extra on their sandwich.  Then stand back and let the hungry crowds build their own.

Summertime!!

Hawaiian Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, from Tasty Kitchen

• 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 bottle bbq sauce, 18-20 ounces.
• Hamburger rolls
• Extra bbq sauce for topping

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.  Top with onions, then pineapple, then pour the whole bottle of bbq sauce over the whole thing.

2. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.  About an hour before it is done, carefully remove chicken from crockpot, shred it, and then return it to the cooker and stir so it can absorb some of the sauce as it finishes.

3. Serve on hamburger rolls with extra bbq sauce on the side.

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Inside Out Pork Dumplings

Dumplings, dumplings.  I love 'em.  I love this kind:

Which believe it or not are REALLY easy to make.  I promise.  No fear.  Try it out yourself by clicking here, and then come back and tell me I was right.  (I love being right!)

I also love this kind of dumpling.  Especially delicious!

So when I ran across this recipe for inside out dumplings, I was raring to go.  The basic concept is that the filling that is usually INSIDE the dumpling cooks OUTSIDE the dumpling (you probably figured that out already), and the whole thing cooks together...the filling and the dumpling wrapper...all in one delicious mess of dumplingness.  Thus saving you the time of sealing all the dumpling filling inside the wrappers...which again is not hard (promise!), but it does take a little extra time.

As an extra added bonus, you get to cook with baby bok choy.  I was a little worried that it was going to be hard to find, but lo and behold, there it was right there in my regular supermarket. 

So here we go.  Heat up some oil in a skillet with some red pepper flakes to give it some zing.  Toss in some garlic, some ginger and some chopped scallion...more zing!  Now add ground pork, cook it through for a few minutes, and then in goes the chopped up baby bok choy...I also had some peas hanging around so I tossed them in too.  Cover your skillet so the bok choy can steam up nice and tender.  Now toss in some grated carrot and a little vinegar and salt.

Meanwhile, boil up a nice big pot of water, and add wonton wrappers (do this one at a time so they don't stick to each other.  You can usually find these in the veggie section of your supermarket in the refrigerated section.  They are basically squares of fresh pasta, and they are going to cook up in no time.  After about a minute they will be tender and perfect, so drain them, add them to the skillet with everything else and toss it all around.  Voila!  Inside Out Dumplings!

Inside Out Pork Dumplings, from Whole Living 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 scallions, whites and greens separated, cut thinly on bias
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 1 pound baby bok choy, leaves separated and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces if large
• 1 carrot, finely grated
• 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 6 ounces fresh wonton wrappers
• Kosher salt

1. Heat oil and red pepper flakes in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites. Cook, stirring, until scallions are tender, about 1 minute. Add pork, breaking up with a spoon until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add bok choy and peas; cover and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add carrots. Season with vinegar and salt. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Season with salt. Add wonton wrappers one at a time. Cook until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain. Add wonton wrappers to skillet and toss. Serve with scallion greens. 
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Bittersweet Chocolate and Cashew Cookie Brittle

There is something about the words "cookie" and "brittle" that just mesmerize me.  Throw in "chocolate" and "cashews" and I am helpless...I walk directly into my kitchen and start making it.  Luckily for me it was somebody's birthday (I won't say whose birthday in order to protect the innocent), and so right after they were ready I put them all in a nice gift basket and whisked them out of the house.

Well, maybe not ALL of them.  Maybe I held back just a few.  Purely in the name of science, and chocolate, and cookie brittle.

Here's what you need to know: this is basically a spin on chocolate chip cookie dough, but because of the particular mixture of ingredients, it cooks up to be a little crunchier and more, well, brittle-like.  Once you have mixed up all the ingredients you press it into one thin layer onto a foil-lined cookie sheet (the foil will both make the brittle pop up easily and if you are really lucky, save you from washing the cookie sheet.  Things like that are my goal in life.  Less cookie-sheet-washing.

Make sure you make the brittle as thin as you can - the thinner it is, the more glorious it will be.  Press press press.  Then pop it into the oven and cook it up until it is a beautiful golden color.  Now comes the hard part...waiting until it is perfectly, totally cool before you break it up into brittle pieces.   After about 45 minutes I couldn't stand it anymore and I put it into the fridge, which cooled it right down.  Now lift the up the mass of brittle and start breaking it up into whatever size pieces you like.

After which you can give it away, keep it for yourself, or split the difference.  Just make sure you try at least one.  Or ten.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle, from Piece of Cake, who got it from The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, Volume II

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted roasted cashews
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and set a rack to the center position. Pour the melted butter into a large bowl, and stir in the vanilla.
2. With a wooden spoon (or your hands, if your prefer), add the sugar, salt and flour and mix to combine--the mixture will be somewhat crumbly, like a moist pie dough.
3. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips. Press the mixture in a thin, even layer onto an ungreased cookie sheet (use the chocolate chips as your guide--try to get them in as close to a single layer as possible throughout the dough, and you'll have the right thickness). You may not fill the entire sheet with the dough--that's okay.

4. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until light golden brown (the edges will be a bit darker than the center). Let cool completely before breaking into whatever sized pieces you desire. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Smoked Salmon Silver Dollar Pancakes

I am all about having breakfast for dinner whenever possible.  Bacon and egg muffins?  Yes please.  Caramel french toast?  Oh yes.  Bacon Cheddar Bagel Panini?  Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!  So I guess it was only a matter of time before breakfast worked itself into our Friday Night Lights appetizer project we have going around here.  And in this case, it is all about pancakes.

Silver dollar pancakes.  Those little baby guys that you ladle onto the griddle with a tablespoon.  Literally...don't be tempted to use more than a tablespoon of batter per adorable pancake, because you want them nice and perfectly finger food size.  Once you have your pancakes cooked and a little cooled off, the possibilities become endless.  In this case, I opted for a savory topping to the sweet flavor of the pancake.

First I spooned on a little bit of sour cream.  Then just a sliver or two of smoked salmon, and final a sprinkle of scallion.  Chives would have been wonderful too, but scallions are what I had and so scallions are what I used.  That's it...on to the platter they went, and before you could say "breakfast for dinner" they were gone. 

Well, almost gone.  Because the pancakes were so tiny, one batch of batter makes a lot of pancakes, and so after I had made as many of the salmon pancakes as I thought the Southern husband and I could reasonably eat,  I still had a fair amount of pancakes.  

Can you say, breakfast for lunch the next day?  Fresh ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil, a little chopped fresn thyme and some fresh ground pepper.

Next time I'm thinking a little guacamole with some chopped tomato and lime zest.  And then....

Smoked Salmon Silver Dollar Pancakes, from Everyday Food

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 easpoon coarse salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. In separate larger bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter and egg. 
3. Add flour mixture to milk mixture and whisk until just moistened...you will still have a few lumps.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and drop batter by tablespoons (no more!) onto skillet. Cook about 2 minutes until bubbles appear on top and bottom is golden. Flip and cook one minute more.
5. Cool slightly, then top with a spoonful of sour cream and a little smoked salmon.  Sprinkle with chopped scallions.

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Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

Is there anything better than potatoes?  I like them mashed, I liked them made into fries, I like them sliced on top of a cottage pie.  I like them here, I like them there, I like them like them everywhere.

I especially like those adorable little baby ones...you know the ones I mean.  The little tiny red and white ones, the ones that make it possible for you to eat multiple potatoes at the same meal and still feed kind of virtuous.    Kind of.  Hey, they are vegetables!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So besides mashing them up with lots of butter and cream, which I completely concede is the absolute best way on earth to prepare a potato, I think I just stumbled upon the next best approach to potato heaven.  It's completely easy, completely delicious, and only involves four things.  Potatoes (natch).  Olive oil.  Coarse salt.  And this...

Now, I admit that finding malt vinegar can be a bit of a challenge.  I actually found mine in the international foods section of my supermarket, in there with the Cadbury chocolate and the really good English breakfast tea...but if you get really desperate you can click here.  And if THAT doesn't work, you can use regular old cider vinegar.  It will be almost as good.

Take those cute little potatoes and boil them up in salted water until they are tender, about 20 minutes or so.  Drain them, and now comes the fun part.  Put them in groups of three or four on a clean dishtowel and fold it over.  Now take a potato masher or a can of tomatoes or whatever you have that is heavy and flat, and press down gently on each potato until they flatten up just slightly.  Now transfer them all to a cookie sheet, brush them with a little olive oil and bake 'em until they are just a little crispy on the outside.

When they are out of the oven, toss them with that vinegar and sprinkle on some coarse salt...and then have an internal argument with yourself about whether these are maybe even better than those mashed potatoes that have always been in first place in your heart.  It's a conundrum for sure.

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes, adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 1/2 pounds small round or fingerling potatoes
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup malt vinegar

1. In a medium pot, bring potatoes to a boil over high in salted water. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes; drain. Place a folded dish towel on a work surface and place a potato inside. Gently smash potato so that it is flattened but still in one piece (edges will split). Repeat with remaining potatoes.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Place potatoes on sheet and brush tops with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until crisp and golden, 35 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Remove from oven, toss with vinegar, and season with salt.
   
   
   
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Shaved Asparagus with Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette

Things that I previously knew could be shaved:

1. The Southern husband's beard.  I would cry real tears if it ever happened, but I know it's possible.

 (photo from Serious Eats)

2. Ice.  And then you add fruit and sugar and other wonderful things and it turns into an amazing dessert.  (Note to self: figure out shaved iced recipe for this summer.)

3. Legs.  I'm not showing a picture or going into any more detail than this one word.
You're welcome.

A thing that I did not know could be shaved:



But then I read a recipe for shaved asparagus with lemon Parmesan vinaigrette in Bon Appetit and my head started spinning.  Paper thin sliced of fresh asparagus that you get from just shaving thick asparagus spears with your handy vegetable peeler.  A quick and easy dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, some grated Parmesan and a little salt and pepper.  No cooking involved...just send someone outside to grill up a nice flank steak while you do the shaving.  Ten minutes later there you are, with a fresh asparagus dish that will have even picky teenagers cleaning their plate.

For this one, you need to get the thicker asparagus...the delectable little thin ones won't work for this (although I love them for pretty much anything else involving asparagus!)  And all you do is this: grab your handy vegetable peeler.  Lay an asparagus down on a sturdy surface (I used a cutting board) and hold the bottom part down firmly.  With your other hand, run the peeler up the length of the stalk.  I found that using a very slight zig-zag motion as I peeled the asparagus worked like a charm.  In less than five minutes I had a very exciting pile of shaved asparagus.  (Hey, different strokes for different folks, right?)

Now take that same vegetable peeler and a hunk of Parmesan and peel off a few slices of the cheese, nice and thin.  You want about 5 or 6 small slices per serving.  Now all you need to do is whip up a lovely little dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a little fresh ground pepper.  Drizzle it over your asparagus, which are so thin and tender that you don't even need to cook them.  And whatever you have going on the grill...chicken, steak, seafood...is going to taste even better with this gorgeous little side dish nestled up next to it.

Asparagus, I love you so.

 Shaved Asparagus with Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette, from Bon Appetit

• 12 large asparagus spears (about 1 lb.), trimmed and peeled
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan plus a piece for shaving
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Working with 1 asparagus spear at a time, use a vegetable peeler to shave spears into long, thin shavings, using a slight zig-zag sawing motion.Transfer to a medium bowl. 

2. Combine grated Parmesan and lemon juice in a small bowl and slowly whisk in oil until well blended. Season vinaigrette generously with salt and pepper. 

3. Drizzle vinaigrette over shaved asparagus and toss to coat. Divide asparagus salad among plates. 

4. Use peeler to shave more Parmesan over salad.

 

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Cheddar Topped Cottage Pie

When it comes to cottage pie and shepherd's pie, I'm pretty much a girl who can't say no.  It's not like I don't have multiple recipes for various variations of this recipe.  And during the course of collecting all of these recipes and blogging about them incessantly, I have learned the difference between shepherd's pie (lamb) and cottage pie (beef).  I've made it with and without peas, with sliced potatoes and mashed potatoes.  You'd think I'd be over it by now.

But no.  I ran into this recipe for a cheddar-topped version, and that was all the excuse I needed to put it back on the menu for the one millionth time.  It was a new recipe!  It included cheese!  I had no choice!

So here's what we've got.  The base is a mixture of carrots, celery, onion, thyme, tomato paste and beef.  And since I have learned the correct terminology, I know that this means that what I am making is cottage pie.  The topping is made of mashed potatoes (and I cribbed this recipe from the completely wonderful, always reliable mashed potato recipe from The Pioneer Woman site.  Yukon gold potatoes, cream cheese...you pretty much can't go wrong.)  You spread this glorious mashed potato wonderfulness over the beef mixtures, sprinkle some cheese on top, and you get this:

Delicious, comforting, cheesy cottage pie.  I have no idea why it is called cottage pie, but since it is, and since it includes a good-sized amount of Vermont cheddar cheese, it seems like a good enough reason to show you the closest picture I have to a cottage, which is our beloved Vermont cabin.



So, the next time you want a completely soothing and wonderful comfort food, or want to make something with "cottage" in the title, or (like me) just can't resist recipes that include mashed potatoes...here's your recipe.

Cheddar Topped Cottage Pie, adapted from Everyday Food

• • 4 cups mashed potatoes (either store-bought or homemade.  I like The Pioneer Woman's recipe)
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
  • 6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, and thinly sliced
  • 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 pounds ground beef chuck
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar (6 ounces)

1. Heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute. Set beef filling aside.
2. Pour beef filling into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Mix one cup of cheese into mashed potatoes.  Drop dollops of mashed potatoes over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

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