One of the many signs that summer is here...the potato salad arrives. Yesterday, we attended a 4 cake birthday party for some of our dearest friends who share a Birthweek and I knew it was time, according to the date (not the weather) to break out the potato salad. I came up with this recipe a couple of summers ago when I was pregnant with Lil Miss and I just couldn't get enough pesto into every meal. The combination of the pesto, green onions and pecans is a mouthful of nutty garlicky goodness. The dressing is very forgiving, so taste as you go. Add more pecans if you like more crunch. Add a little more garlic if you are a fan. Add more dressing if you like your salads saucy. Enjoy!

 

 

==========================================================

Pesto Pecan Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs organic red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 cup pesto
• 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 3/4 cup coursely chopped pecans
• 4 finely chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Bring large pot of water to boil and add potatoes. Gently boil for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender when tested with a fork. Pour into a strainer and douse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
2. In a medium bowl, combine pesto, garlic and mayo. Add pecans and green onions and mix thoroughly.
3. In your large serving bowl, pour a small amount of the dressing into the bottom. Add cooled potatoes. Pour the rest of the dressing on top and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until the salad is uniformly dressed. Chill for 1-2 hours for the flavors to meld. If you wait overnight...amazing things will happen to these flavors.

Enjoy!

 

Crash Potatoes a la Val

So, I saw a link on Pinterest, which led me to a link I couldn't open, so I had to Google it and OF COURSE I landed on The Pioneer Woman...again. She is everywhere or we are meant to cross paths, or both. Love ya Ree.


She has this wonderful recipe for Crash Hot Potatoes...mine are just Crash. She offered a great starting point and I simplified and complicated it a little.


Crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside with a salt and herb kick in the pants, these potatoes are good.

CRASH POTATOES a la Val
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes


Ingredients:

• 10-15 Whole New Potatoes, if they are larger than a golf ball, cut them up
• 6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Finely chopped Rosemary, Summer Savory or Thyme
• 6 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions:
Turn your oven up to 450 degrees.


Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add your potatoes and remove them when you can easily pierce them with a fork.


On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Don't be stingy. Spread it around so your potatoes don't stick to the pan. Place your lovely tender potatoes on the cookie sheet in rows with space between.


With a potato masher, smash each little potato flat with one quick and gentle smash. Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with the kosher salt, black pepper and fresh herbs of choice. Drizzle olive oil horizontally and then vertically across the sheet pan. Some folks like to make them as individual little potato piles. I say, make them all friends.


Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and sprinkle Parmesan and return to the oven for 5 more minutes.


In your serving dish, put your minced garlic cloves on the bottom of the dish. Remove your potatoes from the baking sheet and into your serving dish. Give it a light mix and a touch more Parmesan if you lean that way. Serve immediately.


Other possibilities: add red chili pepper flakes or bacon pieces at the end. My husband better not read that last recommendation or he will request it every night.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Oh the garden is a'growin', but before I get into that I just have to comment on how much I learn from my readers. I ended up removing my FREEZER JAM post because I am a worrier. Thank you for your feedback and perspective, it is good to be reminded who my audience is through your comments and I appreciate each and every one of ya. Mwah!

Ok, so the garden. Weird things are happening. We have had a very cool summer and the two consecutive days we had with temps in the 70s made my garden panic a bit, I think. The pumpkins are very happy, but the foliage looks like it is at the end of the season. The same could be said of all of our squash. Gone are the large verdant leaves of weeks past. The yellow zucchini we planted is our champion producer this summer; I just pulled 9 more last night. Our Delicata should be ready soon and the zukes are slow and steady, which is a good thing given the number of plants I have. Our cherry tomatoes turn the corner to luscious red a handful at a time, usually just enough for C to run out and snatch them in the morning. Today I was lucky enough to be gifted the tiniest of the harvested rubies. He wants to eat tomatoes, who can complain? Well, ok, I would like to eat a few too. Oh, the sacrifices we make as parents. *giggle* The peas are DONE and I really have to go pick my shelling peas yesterday. I tore out my snap peas and now the shelling peas are begging for the same to be done to them.

It feels like summer just started this week for me, but looking at the calendar, I realized we are closer to school being back in session. Maybe that is why my garden is looking so melancholy.

Wistful feelings aside, our big garden joy this week was our Yukon Gold potatoes. My guys went outside after dinner tonight, pushed up their sleeves and dug in their hands to the soft soil. Chucking handful after handful into the wheelbarrow - a squeal and giggle and cheer. C found the first potato and he was hooked. Digging. Digging. I think potato harvesting might be right up there with Easter Egg hunting for my lil' guy. Each one brought out an, "Oh man!" and such delight. My heart warmed as I watched my husband coyly slide aside the soil time and again with his big, strong hands to leave it so C's next dig would hit treasure. Smiles all around and, of course, some grunting from the babe. She could see what fun her brother and dad were having. Satisfied with his work, C threw his hands on his hips and said, "Man, are we going to eat these bad boys up or what?" He said it twice since he knew we were chuckling after the first round. We all laughed and took the dirt, I mean potatoes, inside. After washing up, we took our 20+lovely Yukons out to the drying rack. We have some special guests coming next week and C thinks that is when we should use them. For now, he just wants to show them to his friends.

Yeah garden. Thank you.