salad plates with all the asparagus tips facing the same way, but piled high on top of each other. Drizzle the dressing through the middle of each pile of asparagus, and garnish the plates with the fresh raspberries dropped strategically around the plate. To present on a platter, pile the asparagus high in a long and jagged âfence postâ fashion and drizzle the dressing around the outside of the platter in an attractive pattern. Garnish sporadically with fresh raspberries.
Presto!
Pesto Potato Salad
Serves 8
Try this innovative version of the traditional potato salad you grew up eating. The bright colors and varied textures ramp up the gourmet factor and make garnishing unnecessary.
5 red potatoes (about 2 pounds)
Sea salt, to taste
8 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
4 tablespoons toasted and chopped pine nuts
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup basil pesto (see p. 220)
Black pepper, to taste
Swap It
SUBSTITUTE blue and white fingerling potatoes for the red potatoes, and toss with store-bought sun-dried tomato pesto for a colorful and patriotic holiday version of this potato salad!
1 Fill your 12-quart stockpot with the potatoes, and cover them with water.
Put the pot over high heat, and wait for it to begin to simmer. When the water has begun to bubble, add 2 tablespoons of sea salt to the water and allow the potatoes to simmer until just tender, about 15â20 minutes. Donât boil the potatoes! You want a gentle simmer in which you only see very small bubbles breaking the surface. Boiling will cause the potato skins to tear and the potato will get waterlogged. Not to mention, the outside of the potato will be soft when the inside is still raw. Drain the potatoes, put them in a large bowl, and refrigerate.
2 When the potatoes are cooled, carefully cut each potato into large cubes. Very carefully fold in the tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, mayonnaise, and pesto. You donât want to break down your potatoes too much, so be gentle! Taste the potato salad to see if you need more salt or pepper.
3 Pile high on a serving platter, and wrap tightly to refrigerate until youâre ready to serve ice cold.
Carmelized Fennel and Goat Cheese with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Once the fennel is roasted, this dish is ready to plate, so your Crappy Little Kitchen will thank you. Just leave the roasted fennel in a super low oven until youâre ready to serve.
3 Roma tomatoes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, evenly divided
Sea salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 baby fennel, halved
1 lemon, juiced
5 ounces goat cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup vegetable stock
1 Preheat oven to 450°. Slice the tomatoes in half and place them skin side down on a sheet tray. Drizzle the tomatoes with ¼ cup of olive oil, and season them liberally with sea salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for 15 minutes, turn the turn the tray, and add the garlic cloves, roasting for another 5 minutes.
Leave the oven on.
Did You Know This Crap?
A member of the carrot family, fennel is an aromatic vegetable like celery and carrots, but it has a distinct anise flavor. It has a white bulb on one end with tough, green stalks growing out of it. Some people avoid fennel because of its strong licorice flavor in the raw. When cooked, fennel develops a mellow, delicate flavor. Look for white or very pale green fennel bulbs with bright green, firm stalks and fronds.
2 Pour the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and all the juices from the sheet tray into your blender, add the balsamic vinegar, and set the blender aside.
3 Place the fennel, cut side down on that same baking sheet and drizzle it with ¼ cup of olive oil and the lemon juice. Donât add any salt or pepper yet. Put it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Place 2 slices of goat cheese on the white base of each fennel bulb, sprinkle the whole pan with the
Presto!
Pesto Potato Salad
Serves 8
Try this innovative version of the traditional potato salad you grew up eating. The bright colors and varied textures ramp up the gourmet factor and make garnishing unnecessary.
5 red potatoes (about 2 pounds)
Sea salt, to taste
8 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
4 tablespoons toasted and chopped pine nuts
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup basil pesto (see p. 220)
Black pepper, to taste
Swap It
SUBSTITUTE blue and white fingerling potatoes for the red potatoes, and toss with store-bought sun-dried tomato pesto for a colorful and patriotic holiday version of this potato salad!
1 Fill your 12-quart stockpot with the potatoes, and cover them with water.
Put the pot over high heat, and wait for it to begin to simmer. When the water has begun to bubble, add 2 tablespoons of sea salt to the water and allow the potatoes to simmer until just tender, about 15â20 minutes. Donât boil the potatoes! You want a gentle simmer in which you only see very small bubbles breaking the surface. Boiling will cause the potato skins to tear and the potato will get waterlogged. Not to mention, the outside of the potato will be soft when the inside is still raw. Drain the potatoes, put them in a large bowl, and refrigerate.
2 When the potatoes are cooled, carefully cut each potato into large cubes. Very carefully fold in the tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, mayonnaise, and pesto. You donât want to break down your potatoes too much, so be gentle! Taste the potato salad to see if you need more salt or pepper.
3 Pile high on a serving platter, and wrap tightly to refrigerate until youâre ready to serve ice cold.
Carmelized Fennel and Goat Cheese with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Once the fennel is roasted, this dish is ready to plate, so your Crappy Little Kitchen will thank you. Just leave the roasted fennel in a super low oven until youâre ready to serve.
3 Roma tomatoes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, evenly divided
Sea salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 baby fennel, halved
1 lemon, juiced
5 ounces goat cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup vegetable stock
1 Preheat oven to 450°. Slice the tomatoes in half and place them skin side down on a sheet tray. Drizzle the tomatoes with ¼ cup of olive oil, and season them liberally with sea salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for 15 minutes, turn the turn the tray, and add the garlic cloves, roasting for another 5 minutes.
Leave the oven on.
Did You Know This Crap?
A member of the carrot family, fennel is an aromatic vegetable like celery and carrots, but it has a distinct anise flavor. It has a white bulb on one end with tough, green stalks growing out of it. Some people avoid fennel because of its strong licorice flavor in the raw. When cooked, fennel develops a mellow, delicate flavor. Look for white or very pale green fennel bulbs with bright green, firm stalks and fronds.
2 Pour the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and all the juices from the sheet tray into your blender, add the balsamic vinegar, and set the blender aside.
3 Place the fennel, cut side down on that same baking sheet and drizzle it with ¼ cup of olive oil and the lemon juice. Donât add any salt or pepper yet. Put it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Place 2 slices of goat cheese on the white base of each fennel bulb, sprinkle the whole pan with the
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