Tag Archive: Potatoes

Patio Snacks: Home Fries, Crudités and Mint Lemonade

July 2, 2012

On the flight to Kelowna this weekend I was of course thinking about what I may be cooking in the next few days. Kelowna is wonderful for fresh seasonal produce. There are farm-direct produce, a good size farmers market on Wednesdays and weekends with excellent local produce and countless fruit stands everywhere. Heaven for vegetarian cooks. As it happened we were invited out every day so I didn’t get to do as much cooking as... View Article

Summer Potato Salad

May 27, 2012

I don’t know about you but I am always in the mood for a good potato salad. It is easy to make and hardly requires a recipe but most people get into the routine of making it one way and leave it at that. Why? Potatoes are relatively neutral and can be combined with so many different ingredients and dressings. It’s fun (isn’t it?) to try new ways of making the familiar and much loved... View Article

Potato-Radish Salad with Green Olive Tapenade

May 23, 2012

Our friend Randy just came back from Germany with a few pictures of spring restaurant dishes that he shared with me. One was a fabulous looking white radish salad served with a couple of slices of crusty country bread that looked inspiring. Of course I immediately headed to the  market here in Kelowna and my fridge right now looks like a radish patch. I bought radishes of all kinds and colours, lots of them, including... View Article

French Potato Salad

May 18, 2012

Who doesn’t like potato salad? I make a few different kinds: my mother’s recipe with just mayo, carrots, and pickles, my mother-in-law’s with hard boiled eggs, an Italian one with olive oil and vinegar and a French one with wine, olive oil, red onion and shallots. Here is my recipe for the French potato salad. The wine replaces the vinegar in the Italaian version of this salad.You need to use waxy, not starchy potatoes so... View Article

Zucchini-Potato Cakes with Yogurt-Lemon Sauce

May 9, 2012

I had three beautiful zucchinis sitting in my fridge for the last few days staring at me with anticipation every time I opened the fridge. I finally got around to taking them out, pondering how to serve them. I decided to make them into little patties or cakes, use a few for dinner tonight and freeze the rest for another occasion. I added a baking potato to the mix, for the binding texture of the... View Article

Potato Gnocchi Basic Recipe

April 13, 2012

Here is a recipe for basic potato gnocchi. Some gnocchi recipes call for russet (baking) potatoes, some for white skinned ones. I prefer regular boiling potato variety. You do need the potato ricer though. It helps mash or rice the potatoes into perfect texture for making the gnocchi. See image in the general entry about gnocchi and under the kitchen Gear tap above. Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb. potatoes (about 2-3 potatoes, depending on the type... View Article

About Gnocchi

April 13, 2012

Every culture has its dumpling and they form an integral part of their peasant cuisine. They are inexpensive to make, hearty, filling and bring home cooked comfort to your palate and your soul. Jewish mazzo ball soup is made with mazzo ball dumplings (kneidlach), Hungarians make their delicious spatzle, grated directly over a pot of boiling water, Chinese have their pot stickers, Ukrainians their perogies and Italians have their gnocchi. All these little treasures begin... View Article

Fresh Corn and Potato Chowder

April 13, 2012

I make this corn chowder with fresh corn scraped with a knife straight off the cob. In addition I do not throw away the cobs but rather use them to flavour the stock. It sounds like a lot of work but really, it isn’t, and the resulting soup is delicate and flavourful. The potatoes make the soup thick and velvety and the corn give it a lovely texture. I suggest that you use an immersion... View Article

Potatoes and Tomatoes Gratin

April 3, 2012

Thin layers of starchy potatoes are baked with a layer of sliced tomatoes in the middle. I sprinkle some grated cheese a couple of times as I layer the vegetables and finish with a cup of cream poured over the whole thing. The starchy potatoes absorb the cream and the tomatoes in the middle provide another layer of flavour and texture. I slice the potatoes on a mandolin type gadget (see Kitchen Gear tab), so... View Article

Lentils, Potatoes and Kale with Goat Cheese

April 2, 2012

A nice way of combining vegetables to create a complete meal or a substantial side dish. The potatoes and onion are sautéed until crisp and then the kale is added with a bit of stock and cooked until the kale is just wilted. I then add some cooked lentils and continue cooking just until flavours are merged and liquids are absorbed. Serve the dish immediately as the kale will lose it bright green colour if... View Article