Potato Salad with Dill

1 quart box potatoes
1 bunch dill
2-3 garlic scapes
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Mayonnaise (homemade is best!)
 

1. Chop the potatoes into 1” cubes, skins on.  Boil them with water to cover until just tender.  Drain and set aside to cool to room temp.
2. Chop the dill fine.  Chop the garlic scapes very fine.  Add to the potatoes when cool, then add salt, pepper and mayonnaise to taste.  Start with a tablespoon of mayo and adjust from there. 
3. Serve at room temperature, or keep covered in the fridge for a couple of days.

Ethiopian Lentil Soup

We have been making this soup weekly!  Don't fear the combination or amount of spices; they work very well together to give an authentic flavor.

2 cups raw brown or green lentils, soaked if desired
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons neutral oil like grapeseed or canola
2 cloves garlic, minced
1" fresh ginger, minced
1 dried cayenne chile or 1 tablespoon hot red chile flakes
2-3 carrots, sliced
about 1# potatoes, diced in 1" cubes
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 quart bag whole frozen tomatoes or two 14 oz cans of whole tomatoes
about 2 quarts water or stock

1.  Heat oil in a deep stock pot.  Add onions and saute until clear.  Add ginger, garlic and cayenne, stir to mix.  Add all the spices, including salt to taste, and stir to coat.
2.  Add lentils, dry or soaked, carrots and potatoes to the pot and stir to coat in spice mixture.
3.  Add tomatoes and water to cover by at least 1".  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the tomatoes are incorporated and potatoes are cooked, about 30 minutes.
4.  Adjust seasoning with salt and spice, then serve with parsley as a garnish.

Garlic and Parmesan Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

This recipe comes from Kitchen Swagger.com.  Locavore it!  Replace parmesan with local goat cheese, omit pepper and salt, and either omit olive oil and use only local butter or replace with local sunflower oil

1 pint fingerling potatoes
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced herbs like rosemary, parsley, thyme or sage
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F.  Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.  
2.  In a 12" cast iron skillet, combine all the ingredients, but only half the parmesan at this time. Stir and mix until potatoes are well coated.  
3.  Place skillet in the oven and bake until the potatoes are well browned and slightly crispy, 25-30 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes, top with the remaining cheese, then serve.

Leek and Potato Soup

Serves 6This recipe is adapted from seriouseats.com.

2 T unsalted butter or olive oil

2 large leeks, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 quart stock

1 pint fingerling potatoes, cut into ½” cubes

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup buttermilk (or dairy alternative plus a tablespoon of vinegar)

½ cup heavy cream (or full fat coconut milk)

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ bunch scallions, roughly chopped for serving

1.    Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan, add leeks, reduce heat to very low, and cook until soft but not brown, 10-15 minutes.

2.    Add stock, potatoes and bay leaf.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes.

3.    Remove the bay leaf.  Add buttermilk and cream, stir to combine and pour all into a blender.  Blend until smooth.

4.    Add soup back to saucepan, heat slowly on medium-low heat, then whisk in nutmeg and more salt and pepper to taste. 

5.    Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with scallions.

Pasta with Swiss Chard and New Potatoes

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman’s The Kitchen Matrix
 

1 pound new potatoes, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound pasta, cooked and drained
2 bunches chard, stems and leaves separated
1 onion, chopped
Grated parmesan cheese
 

1. Heat oven to 425F.  Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a roasting pan.  Roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and very tender, about 30 minutes. 
2. Separate the chard stems from the leaves by slicing lengthwise on either side of the stem and removing the midrib almost all the way to the top of the leaf.  Chop the chard stems and slice the leaves into ribbons by laying them on top of one another in a pile, folding in half lengthwise, and chopping into ribbons about ½” wide.
3. Cook the onion in remaining olive oil over medium heat, stirring for 5 minutes.  Add chard stems and cook until they soften, a minute or two, then add the leaves.  Cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. 
4. Toss with the cooked pasta and potatoes, and garnish with freshly grated parmesan.