Author: Jenny (Page 54 of 56)

German Potato Salad

May 22, 2015 / Jenny / 24 Comments

I have been wanting to share this recipe for quite some time. I love this classic potato salad, and a couple of friends and relatives have asked me for this recipe, since they have enjoyed it at picnics. So here it is! It is a recipe I found years ago in my Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book, 10th Edition (June 1, 1989) Ring-bound, and reminds me of the potato salad my German/Swiss grandmother used to make when I was a child. My husband, not a fan of the mayonnaise and egg type of potato salad, loves it too. Since I lean toward the vegetarian end of things, I have tried making this salad without the bacon, and cooking the onions in olive oil. But it just doesn’t taste the same. So I find the highest quality of bacon I can find. It’s not imperative to crumble the bacon and add it to the salad, but it seems important (at least to me) to cook the onions in the bacon drippings. I have also tried making it without celery seed, since one time I didn’t have celery seed, and that also didn’t taste as good. So I would not leave those two ingredients out unless you really need to. As with everything involving vegetables, the better the potatoes, the better this salad will taste as well. I am excited that new potatoes will be appearing soon at the farm stands around here.

We are just kicking off picnic season with Memorial Day weekend upon us, so I thought this would be a fitting time to share this delicious recipe. I like this potato salad because it is very portable. It tastes good warm, cold, or at room temperature. I am sure we will be taking it with us this weekend to my daughter’s soccer tournament. I don’t know why, but food often tastes better when eaten outside. Maybe because it’s novel and exciting after a long winter, or maybe the fresh air whips up our appetite. We have our screened in porch cleaned up and ready to use, and I am looking forward to eating out there as much as possible, in addition to lots of picnics! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! With it being Friday, I am going to take this recipe over to Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Cooking with Aunt Juju and The Chunky Chef.

German Potato Salad

Servings: 4
Time: approximately 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes (or six smallish ones, about 1 and 1/4 pounds)
4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
fresh chives or parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions: Cook the potatoes in a covered saucepan of boiling, salted water for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and set them aside to cool. (I do not peel my potatoes, because I like the skins. Peel them if you want to, but it is not necessary). When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into cubes or slices. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the 4 slices of bacon until it is crisp. Remove the bacon and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the bacon when it is cool. Add the chopped onions to the bacon drippings in the skillet. (There should be about 2 tablespoons-worth. If there is more than that, drain it out till there’s about 2 tablespoons). Saute the onions over medium heat until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the sugar, flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Then stir in the water and vinegar. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the potatoes and bacon. Garnish with chives and/or parsley if desired. Enjoy with your chosen main course!

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Tenth Ring Bound Edition.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

May 19, 2015 / Jenny / 8 Comments

I put together this chocolate mint cookie recipe out of my love for chocolate and the desire to use our fragrant, plentiful mint that is flourishing in our garden right now. The contrast between the deep, rich flavor of the cocoa powder and the light, refreshing mint is pure pleasure. With a relatively small amount of ingredients, these cookies are so easy to make. In addition to the basic sugar cookie ingredients, I added cocoa powder and finely chopped fresh mint. (The mint we have in our garden is spearmint, but peppermint would work just as well. And chopping the stuff releases such a fresh fragrance!) What I also like about this recipe is that the sugar is all brown sugar, which also deepens the flavor. The cookies come out moist and tasty–a decadent, yet refreshing treat.

With the mint and other plants thriving, the past few days I have been overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude for this place, this verdant corner of the earth. The spring rains have softened everything to a lush, velvety green, and the air is singing with birds and frogs. It also really helps that there aren’t many mosquitoes out yet. My husband and son went fishing with our neighbors and their son the other night. The walk to the lake near our house is very wet, through dark, thick mud and bright green foliage and undergrowth. The journey is not an easy one at this time of year. But when they got there, they took their boots off and let their bare feet sink into the cool water. They sat on the shore and looked out at the calm lake. After such a busy, over-scheduled week, it felt so refreshing to do something unstructured and unhurried. My son caught and released two fish. He and my husband returned smiling and covered in mud. On the back of my son’s shirt were three or four perfectly shaped little muddy handprints, where his neighbor friend had patted him on the back. It is a good life when you can work hard, and then go fishing and eat chocolate mint cookies. Happy Spring!

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Servings: 24 cookies
Time: about 15 minutes preparation, 24 minutes baking time
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Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and finely chop the fresh mint. Cream the butter and the sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg and the vanilla, and stir again to mix well. In a small mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture, and stir well until combined. Stir in the mint. Drop by a rounded spoon onto a baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches of space around each ball of dough. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes. Let them sit on the baking sheet a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Kale and Pecan Casserole

May 14, 2015 / Jenny / 8 Comments

Kale is such a popular green right now! Long overlooked, it is now revered for its superior nutritional qualities. Kale is something that grows really well in our garden, and its growing season lasts from spring until late into the fall, so we eat a lot of kale in my household. I am always looking for new ways to use this superfood, and this casserole is my latest favorite. The jury still seems to be out on whether raw or cooked kale is best for us. Some sources say that cooking kale kills some of its nutrients, while other sources say that boiling kale for a short time makes the nutrients easier for our bodies to digest. The way I deal with this is that I make kale all kinds of different ways–raw in smoothies and salads, baked in kale chips, and blanched and baked in this scrumptious casserole.

In addition to the vitamin and mineral-rich kale, this casserole also contains pecans, which are chock-full of nutrients as well. The recipe I am sharing below is adapted from one I found in one of my favorite cookbooks, the charming “Mrs. Chard’s Almanac Cookbook: Hollyhocks and Radishes” by Bonnie Stewart Mickelson. The pecans and nutmeg offset the earthiness of the kale, and the sautéed onions and breadcrumbs add a savory richness to bring out kale’s deep flavor. I feel like I am feeding my body lots of good energy when I eat this casserole. Many of us are depleted of minerals these days, so eating a vegetable so rich in minerals helps restore the natural balance our bodies crave.

Our bodies long to be close to the earth and the minerals that come from the earth. With spring finally here and gardening season in full swing, I am reminded of how good it is to eat foods grown in my own soil or soil close to home. This quote expresses this feeling well, and though the author mentions a carrot, I think the sentiment can apply to all fruits and vegetables: “If you truly get in touch with a piece of carrot, you get in touch with the soil, the rain, the sunshine. You get in touch with Mother Earth and eating in such a way, you feel in touch with true life, your roots, and that is meditation. If we chew every morsel of our food in that way we become grateful and when you are grateful, you are happy.” –Thich Nhat Hanh

As a side dish, this casserole can bake away peacefully while you focus on the main course of the meal.

Kale and Pecan Casserole

Servings: 4-6
Time: approximately 15 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to bake
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Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 pounds of kale, chopped
1 cup of onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup whole of wheat bread crumbs, plus 1/4 cup more for later
3 tablespoons of butter, plus 2 more for later
1 cup of light cream (if you don’t have cream, I have also used 2% milk)
1/2 cup of pecans, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Thoroughly was the kale and trim away the leafy parts from the thickest parts of the stems. Discard the stems. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the kale. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the kale is just barely tender. Drain well in a colander and chop into bite-sized pieces.

In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Sauté the chopped onions until soft (about 7 minutes). When the onions are softened, add the cooked kale, 1/3 cup bread crumbs, cream, chopped pecans, nutmeg, and salt. Stir to combine. Transfer to a lightly greased 1 and 1/2 quart deep baking dish.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs to coat. Sprinkle over the top of the kale mixture in the baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste, as needed. Enjoy!

To make ahead, prepare the recipe up to the point of baking. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

This dish also tastes good as a leftover. Refrigerate the leftover portion and warm it back up in the oven the next day.

Recipe adapted from “Mrs. Chard’s Almanac Cookbook: Hollyhocks and Radishes” by Bonnie Steward Mickelson