Lemon Oil Smashed Potatoes

This simple and delicious recipe comes from At Home With Michael Chiarello, my new favorite cook book (actually, they are all my favorite). I prepared this with a grilled chicken that I will post later. The lemon olive oil and the mixture of fresh herbs are very nice.

Lemon Oil Smashed Potatoes

3 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes, unpeeled

Finley ground sea salt

Grated zest of 4 lemons

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups lemon extra-virgin olive oil or 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil and the grated zest of 4 more lemons

In a large saucepan, combine potatoes with water to cover by 1 inch. Add 2 Tbsp. salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl.

Mash potatoes with a fork until broken up but not smooth. Add zest, chives , thyme, tarragon, 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper; mix well with fork. Add lemon olive oil, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well with each addition. You may not need all the oil. They are ready when still chunky and begin to glisten with oil.

Prosciutto Bits

This recipe is adapted from Michael Chiarello. Not only are they good in soup, but they taste great on top of salads and potatoes.

Prosciutto Bits

6 oz. sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring. After 5 minutes reduce heat to low, cook and stir occasionally until crisp. Transfer to paper towel lined plate to cool.

Melon and Prosciutto "As Soup"

The other day, Dan was cleaning out the hall closet and he came across my At Home With Micheal Chiarello cookbook. I totally forgot about having the book and spent the next two nights reading it in bed. There are some great recipes in this book and the first one I decided to try was this soup. One of my favorite things to eat in the summer is melon and prosciutto and this recipe seemed like a winner. It turned out very nice, if not a little sweet. The cantaloupe I used was super sweet and I could have cut some of the honey, but oh well, it still tasted great! I think I will try using basil in place of the mint for the next go around.

Melon and Prosciutto "As Soup"

2 cantaloupes, halved, seeded, peeled and cubed

Finely ground sea salt

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

12 mint leaves

2 tbsp. dark rum

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

2 tbsp. Prosciutto Bits

Freshly ground black pepper

Place 8 soup bowls in freezer. Working in batches, combine cantaloupe, 1 tsp salt, honey, lemon juice, 10 mint leaves and rum in a blender and process until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

Finely julienne the remaining 2 mint leaves. Ladle soup into chilled bowls. Garnish center of bowl with a dollop of mascarpone. Sprinkle mascarpone with Prosciutto, mint leaves and a grind of black pepper.

Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings

My ex-wife Judy prepared these at my son's last birthday and I finally found the recipe. I know it sounds strange, but the recipe is really good. my ex mother-in-law used to make the best apple dumplings and these are actually quite close to hers and very easy to make.


Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings

2 large Granny Smith apples (Judy used gala)
2 (10 oz) refrigerated crescent roll dough tubes
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can Mountain Dew

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan. Core each apple and cut into eight wedges each. Separate dough into triangles. Roll apple wedge into dough, starting at small end; pinch to seal and place in baking dish. ( At this point, Judy sprinkled extra sugar and cinnamon onto the prepared dough in pan.)
Melt butter in saucepan and add sugar and cinnamon, pour over dumplings. Pour Mountain dew around sides and down the middle of the pan, but not over the dumplings. You do not use the whole can, probably half. Bake 35 to 45 minutes and let them sit 10 minutes before serving.