Greek Potato and Garlic Dip

 It's amazing what you can do with day old cooked potatoes! I was lying in bed wondering whether to make the same old nicoise salad for dinner when I came across a recipe for Skordalia in the magazine that I was reading. Skordalia is a greek potato dip, very pleasantly rustic in it's origins and absolutely delicious!I didn't like the recipe provided though so I created my own and I must modestly say that it's wonderful, so wonderful that I can barely keep my hands out of it. But it's also so  simple to make and is going to be a perfectly delightful beginning to our meal tonight!

All you need is a food processor or if you have a blender that will work fine too. I didn't use my VitaMix because too much blending too quickly would turn the potato into paste and I wanted to avoid that. Use fresh herbs if possible because in this dip they truly do make a difference!

In the bowl of a food processor add 3 redskin and 3 little (about 3 inches wide) Yukon gold potatoes that you've cooked and cooled. Then add 1/2 a cup of Marcona almonds, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of FRESH lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of amber agave nectar and  

a heaping handful of parsley, rosemary and fresh sage.  

Turn the food processor on and pour in as much good olive oil as you need to create a smooth and creamy dip. Don't be shy with it, more just enhances the texture and brightens the taste. If I'd had some anchovies I would have added those too! When you are satisfied with the flavor add salt and pepper to taste. You'll need to add more salt than you think because the potatoes will absorb it, which is why throwing a couple of potatoes into any stew or soup that is a bit too salty quickly corrects that problem.

Place the dip into a pretty bowl and surround with freshly cut beans , sliced pretty peppers and other vegetables. You could also try fried zucchini which would be delicious paired with all of that lemon and garlic! Serve as a starter at  with a wonderful white wine or a chilled rose.  

Image courtesy of CNYcentral.com

Truffled Roast Chicken with Fine Herbs!

To me, roast chicken is one of the simplest and most elegant dishes that can ever be made. It is also very easy to prepare and serve, making it the perfect Sunday dinner or anytime feast! The delightful free range bird that I roasted last weekend ended up in sandwiches on Monday, stir fry with snow peas and sesame on Tuesday and as a full throttle chicken soup on Wednesday! I do like free range organic birds better, mostly because they really do taste healthier to me. I am sensitive to hormones and antibiotics, and I don't get the same physical reaction from the organic birds as I do the others. I also think that they are safer because they are usually not exposed to the many disgusting types of nasty bacteria's that have definitely been found in factory farms. Besides, it's so much fun to go to the local farmers market if you have one near , choose your own chicken and talk to the farmers that raised it. For me, that really enhances the pleasure! Warning! This is not a low calorie, low cholesterol recipe! However ...All things in moderation! To start , I rinse the bird inside and out, neck gizzards and all. To be truthful, I roast the "nasty bits" (as Anthony Bourdain calls them!)but never eat them! They do lend a wonderful flavor to the drippings as they are roasting. After the bird is rinsed, I take my roasting pan (enameled cast iron) and lay a mirepoix of fresh vegetables on the bottom. A mirepoix is a combination of diced carrots, onions and celery, and is an excellent moist base for many different types of roasts. I like to season the vegetables with a teaspoon of fresh sage and a bit of salt and pepper, but it's not necessary. Next I soften a stick of salted butter and add to that about a tablespoon of white truffle oil (a little goes a long way!), and some dried herb's de provence. You can also use a mixture of Boursin cheese (the garlic and herb type) mixed with the butter...Yummm! With both hands gently start from the opened cavity and loosen the skin from the bird without removing it. Really what you are trying to do is just get room between the skin and the meat so that you can season it. Then take good handfuls of the butter mixture and rub it underneath of the skin onto the breast meat. Take whatever butter is left and rub it onto the the skin. Sometimes I take several slices of really good bacon and lay them on top of the chicken as well, as it really flavors the pan drippings. Then, take one large yellow onion and quarter it, one meyer lemon (cut in half) and several good sized sprigs of fresh rosemary and stuff it into the cavity of the bird. Finally add a cup of water. You will probably need to add a bit more water along the way, but you never want the mixture to be "juicy"! Place the chicken breast side up onto the vegetables and put the whole thing into a 375 degree oven. I tend to roast my chicken slowly, basting frequently. After about 50 minutes, I turn the chicken upside down so that the juices from the dark meat flow into the breast, keeping the whole bird moist. I roast the chicken like that for another 1/2 hour and then turn it right side up. At this point it will definitely be browning but not yet crackly and golden. Turn the heat up a little bit and watch carefully. Keep basting the chicken with the drippings for about another 15 minutes and it will reward you with a golden skin and very moist,flavorful meat. Take the chicken out of the pan and place it on a wooden carving board so that it can rest for a few minutes because as it cool the juices will settle back into the bird. If you carve it when it is hot, the meat will be very dry. Take the roasting pan and place it on the top burners of your stove and turn the burners onto medium. Reduce the pan mixture by about a third (whisking consistently...you want to get the good browned bits up!) and then add 1 cup of white wine that you have enhanced with a tablespoon of a good organic chicken stock base (or bouillon), 1 scant tablespoon of saucing flour and a pressed clove of garlic. Whisk the wine mixture into the sauce and let it cook for a few minutes and then add a good tablespoon of butter which will give the sauce a lovely sheen. I have added sliced mushrooms to the sauce as well with delicious results. Remove the vegetables from inside the bird and discard. Slice the chicken and serve each portion with a few tablespoons of the sauce. I love to serve a simple steamed asparagus with this, and some lightly buttered egg noodles. A yummy chilled white wine (or champagne!)completes this feast but don't forget sparking white grape juice or cider for those who don't want the alcohol. Enjoy with family , friends and good stories! 

Truffled Roast Chicken with Fine Herbs!

To me, roast chicken is one of the simplest and most elegant dishes that can ever be made. It is also very easy to prepare and serve, making it the perfect Sunday dinner or anytime feast! The delightful free range bird that I roasted last weekend ended up in sandwiches on Monday, stir fry with snow peas and sesame on Tuesday and as a full throttle chicken soup on Wednesday! I do like free range organic birds better, mostly because they really do taste healthier to me. I am sensitive to hormones and antibiotics, and I don't get the same physical reaction from the organic birds as I do the others. I also think that they are safer because they are usually not exposed to the many disgusting types of nasty bacteria's that have definitely been found in factory farms. Besides, it's so much fun to go to the local farmers market if you have one near , choose your own chicken and talk to the farmers that raised it. For me, that really enhances the pleasure! Warning! This is not a low calorie, low cholesterol recipe! However ...All things in moderation! To start , I rinse the bird inside and out, neck gizzards and all. To be truthful, I roast the "nasty bits" (as Anthony Bourdain calls them!)but never eat them! They do lend a wonderful flavor to the drippings as they are roasting. After the bird is rinsed, I take my roasting pan (enameled cast iron) and lay a mirepoix of fresh vegetables on the bottom. A mirepoix is a combination of diced carrots, onions and celery, and is an excellent moist base for many different types of roasts. I like to season the vegetables with a teaspoon of fresh sage and a bit of salt and pepper, but it's not necessary. Next I soften a stick of salted butter and add to that about a tablespoon of white truffle oil (a little goes a long way!), and some dried herb's de provence. You can also use a mixture of Boursin cheese (the garlic and herb type) mixed with the butter...Yummm! With both hands gently start from the opened cavity and loosen the skin from the bird without removing it. Really what you are trying to do is just get room between the skin and the meat so that you can season it. Then take good handfuls of the butter mixture and rub it underneath of the skin onto the breast meat. Take whatever butter is left and rub it onto the the skin. Sometimes I take several slices of really good bacon and lay them on top of the chicken as well, as it really flavors the pan drippings. Then, take one large yellow onion and quarter it, one meyer lemon (cut in half) and several good sized sprigs of fresh rosemary and stuff it into the cavity of the bird. Finally add a cup of water. You will probably need to add a bit more water along the way, but you never want the mixture to be "juicy"! Place the chicken breast side up onto the vegetables and put the whole thing into a 375 degree oven. I tend to roast my chicken slowly, basting frequently. After about 50 minutes, I turn the chicken upside down so that the juices from the dark meat flow into the breast, keeping the whole bird moist. I roast the chicken like that for another 1/2 hour and then turn it right side up. At this point it will definitely be browning but not yet crackly and golden. Turn the heat up a little bit and watch carefully. Keep basting the chicken with the drippings for about another 15 minutes and it will reward you with a golden skin and very moist,flavorful meat. Take the chicken out of the pan and place it on a wooden carving board so that it can rest for a few minutes because as it cool the juices will settle back into the bird. If you carve it when it is hot, the meat will be very dry. Take the roasting pan and place it on the top burners of your stove and turn the burners onto medium. Reduce the pan mixture by about a third (whisking consistently...you want to get the good browned bits up!) and then add 1 cup of white wine that you have enhanced with a tablespoon of a good organic chicken stock base (or bouillon), 1 scant tablespoon of saucing flour and a pressed clove of garlic. Whisk the wine mixture into the sauce and let it cook for a few minutes and then add a good tablespoon of butter which will give the sauce a lovely sheen. I have added sliced mushrooms to the sauce as well with delicious results. Remove the vegetables from inside the bird and discard. Slice the chicken and serve each portion with a few tablespoons of the sauce. I love to serve a simple steamed asparagus with this, and some lightly buttered egg noodles. A yummy chilled white wine (or champagne!)completes this feast but don't forget sparking white grape juice or cider for those who don't want the alcohol. Enjoy with family , friends and good stories! 

Tom's Honey Glazed Fried Chicken!

Okay, so I'm going to cheat a bit! My favorite recipe for fried chicken is not really a fried chicken recipe, but a honey glazed fried chicken recipe!  One day after a particularly memorable meal just outside of Monticello , this recipe was born. Thomas Jefferson has been my muse since I was very young, and it delights me to pay him homage with this recipe. On my list of people I'd love to have dinner with, he's always been number one right after my husband and son. I'd definitely serve him this on a pewter plate with a huge frosty mug of something quite delightful and lots of beeswax candles!   

  Any  divine fried chicken recipe  will do for this sticky, yummy summer dish, all I've added to the mix is a bit of frosting! With this dish, everyone will think that you are amazing. No one needs to ever know just how very simple it really is!

For this meal I prefer to go get my chicken already fried at the local grocery store. Rotisserie chicken won't do, because you definitely want that crispy flavorful coating! Going to get the chicken is the hardest part! The rest of this recipe is even easier!
Take about a cup of good honey and gently warm it adding about a tablespoon of bourbon,a 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder (not onion salt) a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to taste and a good knob (about a tablespoon) of butter.

Place the already fried chicken on a baking sheet, season it to taste with salt and pepper and gently drizzle the honey mixture over each piece. Reserve the rest for later on because you will want to add more as the chicken is baking. Turn your oven on to about 300 degrees and put the chicken in to begin to bake. Just watch it carefully, and when it begins to caramelize (about 30 minutes maximum) it will be done.  Keep drizzling the sauce during baking, it keeps the chicken moist!

I love to serve this chicken with iced tea, lemonade and great beer, cornbread and a tossed salad that's a little heavier on the fresh tomatoes and spicy greens, tossed with your favorite Italian dressing and a bit of blue cheese.
Sweet potato fries are definitely a plus and fresh sweet corn that you've grilled and basted with the leftover honey sauce is even better!

Make sure that there's a hammock ready....you'll need it!

Tom's Honey Glazed Fried Chicken!

Okay, so I'm going to cheat a bit! My favorite recipe for fried chicken is not really a fried chicken recipe, but a honey glazed fried chicken recipe!  One day after a particularly memorable meal just outside of Monticello , this recipe was born. Thomas Jefferson has been my muse since I was very young, and it delights me to pay him homage with this recipe. On my list of people I'd love to have dinner with, he's always been number one right after my husband and son. I'd definitely serve him this on a pewter plate with a huge frosty mug of something quite delightful and lots of beeswax candles!   

  Any  divine fried chicken recipe  will do for this sticky, yummy summer dish, all I've added to the mix is a bit of frosting! With this dish, everyone will think that you are amazing. No one needs to ever know just how very simple it really is!

For this meal I prefer to go get my chicken already fried at the local grocery store. Rotisserie chicken won't do, because you definitely want that crispy flavorful coating! Going to get the chicken is the hardest part! The rest of this recipe is even easier!
Take about a cup of good honey and gently warm it adding about a tablespoon of bourbon,a 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder (not onion salt) a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to taste and a good knob (about a tablespoon) of butter.

Place the already fried chicken on a baking sheet, season it to taste with salt and pepper and gently drizzle the honey mixture over each piece. Reserve the rest for later on because you will want to add more as the chicken is baking. Turn your oven on to about 300 degrees and put the chicken in to begin to bake. Just watch it carefully, and when it begins to caramelize (about 30 minutes maximum) it will be done.  Keep drizzling the sauce during baking, it keeps the chicken moist!

I love to serve this chicken with iced tea, lemonade and great beer, cornbread and a tossed salad that's a little heavier on the fresh tomatoes and spicy greens, tossed with your favorite Italian dressing and a bit of blue cheese.
Sweet potato fries are definitely a plus and fresh sweet corn that you've grilled and basted with the leftover honey sauce is even better!

Make sure that there's a hammock ready....you'll need it!

Fresh Tomatoes , Almonds and Basil!

This is one of those combinations that is so obvious that you forget  them until the middle of winter when you would possibly sell your first born child for a fresh tomato sandwich! Fresh tomatoes are( I think) one of the best parts of summer. I am constantly looking for things to do with them, and this morning I found one of the most amazing combinations ever. I was standing out on my porch, savoring the sweet cherry tomatoes growing in my window boxes and eating a handful of freshly roasted, salted almonds. Then it struck me! There was a beautiful sweet basil plant growing next to me and I quickly snipped off some of the flavorful leaves. Seconds later, I was in heaven! It wasn't the basil and tomato that was unusual, but the addition of the almonds. The combination of basil, tomato and almond was ambrosia to my senses, and drizzled with a bit of the fresh olive oil that my nephew just brought me from Florence was perfect. It doesn't need anything else! (Well, maybe a bit a cracked pepper, but nothing else!)  Don't try this without the roasted, salted almonds( Trader Joes are THE BEST!), because the roasting and salt creates a buttery flavor that is amazing. I usually blend pine nuts with basil and tomato, but I think that this could make the most wonderful pesto sauce with the addition of a wee bit of garlic (not the normal 8 cloves!) and some freshly grated manchego cheese for a Spanish flavor. I would also use this as a dip for fresh mussels that had been quickly steamed in a bit of broth and white wine.   This sauce drizzled on freshly grilled tuna and served with some roasted potatoes and a sumptuous red wine, would make a very sexy dinner for two!

Fresh Tomatoes , Almonds and Basil!

This is one of those combinations that is so obvious that you forget  them until the middle of winter when you would possibly sell your first born child for a fresh tomato sandwich! Fresh tomatoes are( I think) one of the best parts of summer. I am constantly looking for things to do with them, and this morning I found one of the most amazing combinations ever. I was standing out on my porch, savoring the sweet cherry tomatoes growing in my window boxes and eating a handful of freshly roasted, salted almonds. Then it struck me! There was a beautiful sweet basil plant growing next to me and I quickly snipped off some of the flavorful leaves. Seconds later, I was in heaven! It wasn't the basil and tomato that was unusual, but the addition of the almonds. The combination of basil, tomato and almond was ambrosia to my senses, and drizzled with a bit of the fresh olive oil that my nephew just brought me from Florence was perfect. It doesn't need anything else! (Well, maybe a bit a cracked pepper, but nothing else!)  Don't try this without the roasted, salted almonds( Trader Joes are THE BEST!), because the roasting and salt creates a buttery flavor that is amazing. I usually blend pine nuts with basil and tomato, but I think that this could make the most wonderful pesto sauce with the addition of a wee bit of garlic (not the normal 8 cloves!) and some freshly grated manchego cheese for a Spanish flavor. I would also use this as a dip for fresh mussels that had been quickly steamed in a bit of broth and white wine.   This sauce drizzled on freshly grilled tuna and served with some roasted potatoes and a sumptuous red wine, would make a very sexy dinner for two!

Chicken Salad Nicoise!

The highlight of the Merrill Lynch Hunter Jumper Classic is always Grand Prix day, when old friends gather in the box section to share a meal and catch up on all of the years happenings! Everyone brings a dish to share, and this  year I decided to bring a chilled Nicoise salad.

A Nicoise salad is usually made with very good canned tuna, the kind from Italy canned in olive oil or chilled lump crabmeat. Given the heat of the day , I decided to use chicken and the results were really good. I was so flattered because everyone loved it and asked for the recipe! It's really so easy, and takes about 5 minutes to put together! 

The main ingredients are:

Chicken breasts that you have roled in mayonnaise (Helmanns!) and then dipped into a mixture of onion powder, parmesan cheese and Italian bread crumbs.  Bake them at 350 for about 40 minutes and let them chill overnight , then thinly slice.

Fresh Haricot Vert   (  skinny French  green beans!)that you have blanched, chilled well and  tossed   in a mixture of good olive oil, sun dried or roasted tomatoes, freshly minced garlic and pine nuts.

Quartered Redskin potatoes that you have roasted with some olive oil, paprika, salt , pepper and rosemary and chilled overnight!

Fresh (the kind in brine) Feta Cheese

Pitted Kalamata olives

Hard boiled egg quartered lengthwise

Really fresh romaine and raddichio lettuces!

Pine nuts for garnish

Now for the easy part!

Find a pretty platter (not silver or metal because of the reaction with the egg and vinegar!) and spread out the lettuce. After this, it's up to you to be the artist! You can layer the ingredients, make lovely vertical patterns with them, whatever you fancy! This salad also is a very pretty plated first course! Just do the arranging on smaller plates!

The dressing can be any really good garlic vinegrette, either bottled or homemade, but the special word here is GARLIC!

This salad should be lightly dressed, and your guests can always add more to taste!

If you can't find Garlic Expressions! salad dressing, it's very easy to make your own.  Some olive oil, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, champagne vinegar and LOTS of freshly minced garlic whisked together to your taste should do the trick!

Serve with a French baguette and butter, some fresh summer fruit and some chilled champagne for a feast  straight from a Manet painting! 

Chicken Salad Nicoise!

The highlight of the Merrill Lynch Hunter Jumper Classic is always Grand Prix day, when old friends gather in the box section to share a meal and catch up on all of the years happenings! Everyone brings a dish to share, and this  year I decided to bring a chilled Nicoise salad.

A Nicoise salad is usually made with very good canned tuna, the kind from Italy canned in olive oil or chilled lump crabmeat. Given the heat of the day , I decided to use chicken and the results were really good. I was so flattered because everyone loved it and asked for the recipe! It's really so easy, and takes about 5 minutes to put together! 

The main ingredients are:

Chicken breasts that you have roled in mayonnaise (Helmanns!) and then dipped into a mixture of onion powder, parmesan cheese and Italian bread crumbs.  Bake them at 350 for about 40 minutes and let them chill overnight , then thinly slice.

Fresh Haricot Vert   (  skinny French  green beans!)that you have blanched, chilled well and  tossed   in a mixture of good olive oil, sun dried or roasted tomatoes, freshly minced garlic and pine nuts.

Quartered Redskin potatoes that you have roasted with some olive oil, paprika, salt , pepper and rosemary and chilled overnight!

Fresh (the kind in brine) Feta Cheese

Pitted Kalamata olives

Hard boiled egg quartered lengthwise

Really fresh romaine and raddichio lettuces!

Pine nuts for garnish

Now for the easy part!

Find a pretty platter (not silver or metal because of the reaction with the egg and vinegar!) and spread out the lettuce. After this, it's up to you to be the artist! You can layer the ingredients, make lovely vertical patterns with them, whatever you fancy! This salad also is a very pretty plated first course! Just do the arranging on smaller plates!

The dressing can be any really good garlic vinegrette, either bottled or homemade, but the special word here is GARLIC!

This salad should be lightly dressed, and your guests can always add more to taste!

If you can't find Garlic Expressions! salad dressing, it's very easy to make your own.  Some olive oil, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, champagne vinegar and LOTS of freshly minced garlic whisked together to your taste should do the trick!

Serve with a French baguette and butter, some fresh summer fruit and some chilled champagne for a feast  straight from a Manet painting! 

Linguini with Fresh Tomatoes and mozzarella!

Sometimes the best recipes are born completely by accident! The other night I made a pasta with artichoke lemon pesto, and served it with a plate of fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil, that I had drizzled with truffle oil.   We were so full by the time it came to eat the tomatoes that my husband told me to save them for the next day. I had a lot of linguini left over, and I added the tomato mixture to it, with lots of fresh olive oil, more fresh tomatoes, 5 cloves of pressed garlic , the rest of the mozzarella, some parmesan and handfuls of minced fresh herbs and parsley! Sea salt to taste and the next nights supper was created. You can eat this at room temperature, but I prefer it slightly warmed, so that the mozzarella is oozing everywhere. I had only red tomatoes, but I would love to eat this with several different  types, maybe a few of the gorgeously coloured heirloom varieties. A little garlic bread, a chilled rose', a bit of opera, the right companion.....The possibilities are endless!

Picture is courtesy of  www.myownlabels.com , the best private label site that I've ever found for creating labels that are worthy of adorning jars of your prize winning tomato sauces or canned peaches!