Greek Potatoes

Sorry for the bad cell phone pic; my regular camera was out of batteries and I didn't have any fresh ones handy. These potatoes are probably the single most requested recipe by Kara, and they are totally delicious. And so easy! Like the recipe says, it's about ten minutes of prep and about an hour and a half in the oven. I usually don't bother to peel them, because I like the skins, and peeling is work. Here's the recipe at Recipezaar. Kara calls them "messy potatoes" because they tend to leave the pan they bake in a bit hard to clean, although the new nonstick Chicago Metallic stuff we got at Costco yesterday cleaned up easily enough.

French toast

This is my favorite french toast recipe of all time. It comes, if I remember correctly, from Cook's Illustrated. Though thick-sliced challah is best for French toast, you can substitute high-quality, presliced sandwich bread. Flipping challah is easiest with tongs [though a spatula works fine], but a spatula works best with sandwich bread. To speed the cooking of large quantities, heat two or more skillets to brown a few batches at once. To vary the flavor of the batter, add three-quarters of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or one-half teaspoon of ground nutmeg with the dry ingredients, or substitute almond extract for the vanilla. [In my opinion, it is by far best without these variations.] Makes 4-5 challah slices (3/4 inch-thick) or 6-8 sandwich slices 1. Heat 10- to 12-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat: 1 large egg lightly in shallow pan or pie plate; whisk in 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted then 3/4 cups milk and 2 tsp vanilla and finally 2 tbsp sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and 1/4 tsp salt, continuing to whisk until smooth. Soak bread without oversaturating, about 40 seconds per side for challah or 30 seconds per side for sandwich bread. Pick up bread and allow excess batter to drip off; repeat with remaining slices. 2. Swirl 1 tablespoon butter [I don't usually use quite this much] in hot skillet. Transfer prepared bread to skillet; cook until golden brown, about 1 minute 45 seconds on first side and 1 minute on the second. Serve immediately. Continue, adding 1 tablespoon butter to skillet for each new batch. Good topped with just about anything (butter, syrup, honey, powdered sugar, jam, peanut butter, fruit); also good plain.

Cardamom Sweet Tea

15 min (10 min unattended) Makes 1 gallon Lightly crush: 10 or so green cardamom pods 1 3-inch cinnamon stick Put the spices in a pot with: 2 quarts cold water and bring to a boil. When the water is at a full rolling boil, add: 4 family-sized tea bags (I like Luzianne, but it's regional; Lipton will do) and remove from heat. Steep five minutes. In the mean time, get a 1-gallon pitcher and put in it: 25 g Splenda or 200 g sugar (which measures out to about 1 1/8 cups of either) When the tea is done steeping, remove the tea bags and spices from it and pour it into the pitcher. You might have to stir at this point if you're using sugar instead of Splenda to make it dissolve. Add another 2 quarts cold water to fill the pitcher, chill, and enjoy.

Pioneer Woman's Sweet Potatoes

These sweet potatoes are fantastic, although a bit rich. I first made them for thanksgiving this year, and Kara and I loved them so much I immediately made another batch. They're a sort of candied sweet potatoes, I suppose, but with a pecan crumble topping. The one trick I have is to cook the sweet potatoes for significantly longer than the recipe suggests. You want them to be very soft when they come out of the oven the first time. Anyway, here's the recipe at Serious Eats. Pioneer Woman one of my favorite food bloggers; her blog is worth a read.

Columbia Restaurants 1905 Salad

This is a wonderful salad from the Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine. The salad dressing itself is good on any salad. I usually use organic turkey, but the salad is good even without meat. '1905' Salad Salad Ingredients ½ head romaine heart 2 ripe tomatoes, cut in eighths ½ cup Swiss cheese, cut in julienne strips ½ cup ham, cut in julienne strips (or turkey or shrimp) ¼ cup green Spanish olives, pitted (I use black olives) 2 teaspoons grated Romano cheese Salad Dressing Ingredients 1/8 cup white wine vinegar (I use balsamic vinegar) ½ cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon oregano 2 teaspoons lemon juice Preparation Toss together all salad ingredients in a bowl, except Romano Cheese. Mix garlic, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Beat until smooth with a wire whisk. Add olive oil, gradually beating to form an emulsion. Stir in vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salad and toss well. Add Romano Cheese and toss one more time. Serves 4.

Garden Blend Soup

Garden Blend Soup Serving Size: 4 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 cup orange juice or 1 apple, cored 1 cucumber 1/8 bunch parsley, washed well 1 avocado, peeled and seeded 1/2 bunch de-stemmed kale, romaine lettuce or other greens 1/4 bunch cilantro, fresh basil, or dill 1–2 green onions or 1 tablespoon red onion (optional) 1 clove garlic (optional) 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons of unpasteurized light miso or 1 teaspoon Himalayan Crystal Salt (or to taste) 1/2 red jalapeño pepper or dash cayenne (optional) 1. Combine ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Pour into individual bowls and serve immediately. 2. For variety, garnish soup mixture with seasoned sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or top with salsa, fresh corn kernels, diced avocados or tomatoes. A drizzle of herb-infused oil, chili oil, or pumpkin seed oil adds a gourmet touch. NOTES : 1 serving = 12 ounces of soup This is a cold raw soup made in the blender. Enjoy. xoxo Katy

Leek and Potato Soup

This is the first recipe I've made from Alice Waters's new book The Art of Simple Food, and I was very pleased with it. I didn't have any thyme, so I had to skip that, and I think it would have been an improvement, but it was still a very nice soup. Went well with a sourdough baguette. Alice Waters's Leek and Potato Soup 50 min (incl. 30 min unattended) Trim roots and tough leaves from: 2 lbs leeks Cut leeks in half lengthwise and slice thin. Rinse in a bowl of cold water and lift out to drain. Melt over med heat in a soup pot: 3 tbsp butter Add the leeks and: 2 sprigs thyme 1 bay leaf salt Cook until soft, about 10 min. Add: 1 lb yellow potatoes [I used red], peeled [I didnt'], quartered or halved, and sliced Cook 4 minutes. Add: 6 c water/stock Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender, but not falling apart, about 30 min. Remove bay leaf and thyme. Purée if desired, then add: 1/3 c crème fraîche or heavy cream [I used whole milk] Adjust seasoning as necessary and serve.