Bay Scallops with Smoked Fingerling Potato Salad, Endive, & McIntosh Apple

I have previously confessed my love for Laurent Tourondel... it's no secret. But I'll tell you something new: I love him even more now. Since my little eclair was born, I've been cooking, but not those spend-all-day-in-the-kitchen meals; it's been more the toss-something-in-the-slow-cooker dinners (which are delicious, don't get me wrong). But I know I'm adapting to motherhood when I get that urge to make a fab dinner, to pick recipes that take up a full page or maybe even two, have unusual ingredients or techniques, and look darn good on a plate. Enter Laurent. For my birthday in December, my mother-in-law sent me a copy of Fresh from the Market. I've drooled over it numerous times, and I finally got around to making a meal from it.

The first course is featured below. I am personally not a scallop fan. But every now and again I'll make a first course with them because my husband loves them. This recipe calls for bay scallops which I find more palatable than the big guys. I was intrigued by smoked potatoes (amazing!) and McIntosh happen to be my favorite apples. This is one great first course. It's got lots of different textures - creamy potato salad, crisp greens, crunchy apples and bacon and lush scallops. Jeff put it in his top five first courses (his long-standing favorite is also from Laurent...)

Watch for the main course: a veal chop with black trumpet ragu and crispy artichokes... mmmm.

If you're in the market for a new cookbook (and who isn't really???) check this one out. Not that I'm partial or anything.



Nantucket Bay Scallops with Smoked Fingerling Potato Salad, Endive, & McIntosh Apple
adapted from Fresh from the Market by Laurent Tourondel

SERVES 6

Potato Salad
2 slices thick-cut bacon
3/4 pound fingerling potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup hickory wood chips, soaked in water (or use a stovetop smoker with chips if you have one)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons store-bought barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon mustard oil, or grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely diced celery
1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Scallops
1 tablespoon canola oil
11/2 pounds Nantucket Bay scallops

Salad
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 head endive, sliced on the bias into 1/2-inch strips
1 small McIntosh apple, peeled and cut into matchstick-size strips
1 bunch watercress, large stems removed

Make the potato salad
Cook the bacon in a small sauté pan over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Once cool, roughly chop the bacon.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and salt liberally with kosher salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 18 minutes. Drain the potatoes. When they are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins.

Line the bottom of a pot with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drain the hickory wood chips and place them in the pot. Heat the wood chips over a burner until they are smoking. Place the potatoes in a steamer insert and set the insert in the pot. Cover tightly with a lid, allowing no smoke to escape from the pot. Smoke the potatoes over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, smoke them for 5 minutes in a stovetop smoker.

Whisk the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard or grapeseed oil, and sherry vinegar in a large bowl to blend.

Add half the warm potatoes to the dressing and, using a fork, crush the potatoes into the vinaigrette. Cut remaining potatoes into quarters and then fold them in.

Fold in the chopped bacon, parsley, celery, and onion, and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Let the salad stand for 20 minutes to allow all the flavors to incorporate, stirring occasionally.

Prepare the scallops
Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. When the pan is smoking hot, add the scallops. Sear the scallops on 1 side until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Once the scallops have caramelized, swirl the pan several times and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer the scallops to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.

Assemble the salad
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the endive, apple, and watercress in the vinaigrette to coat.

To serve
Spoon the potato salad in the center of 6 plates. Place the scallops over the potato salad and then top with the watercress salad. Serve immediately.

A whole new potato salad: Bacon, goat cheese, tomato, arugula and potato salad

Memorial Day has come and gone. Ours wasn't too eventful - we had a great dinner out with the family on Friday, but the rest of the weekend was pretty lowkey. Long weekends are always a welcome change - I always try some new recipes and even found a ltitle time for a much needed manicure and pedicure. Our dinner last night changed from my original plan - I was going to pick up lobsters because they were on sale but we'd had our fill of seafood of late, so we put two t-bones on the grill. The day was pretty hot so I wanted side dishes that weren't too much fuss. I settled on corn on the cob - surprisingly good for this time of year - and a potato salad that might just be the most memorable thing about our quiet Monday at home.

A couple of years ago, my mom gave me a cookbook that she'd found on Martha's Vineyard. It's called Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers. I remember opening it and thinking, "Salads? Boring." My opinion has changed as I've tested more recipes from this book. They're packed with flavor and combine common salad ingredients in new and unusual ways. There's a whole section on potato salads - the chapter title is "Not Your Mother's Potato Salad." My mom happens to make great potato salad, but it's the traditional kind with mayo, so the ones in the book are definitely a departure from that. I opted to try the Potato Salad with Arugula, Tomatoes, Bacon and Goat Cheese. Why? Because the name of the recipe combines my favorite things and a quick scan of the ingredients revealed more tasty delights: kalamata olives and balsamic vinegar.



This is a recipe I'll make again. Boiling the potatoes is about the hardest part. Once that's done, just toss in everything else and you're good to go. And the flavors go great with steak. (And hopefully with chicken because we'll be having the leftovers on Wednesday with some grilled chicken.). I cut the recipe in half since there are only two of us. But it could also be multiplied for a crowd. Boil the potatoes and cook the bacon in the morning before the summer heat kicks in and the rest is a cool and easy assembly of ingredients.



Potato Salad with Arugula, Tomatoes, Bacon and Goat Cheese
adapted from Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers

2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup kalamata olives, halved
1 1/2 cups baby arugula coarsely chopped
4 ounces goat cheese
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper



Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. When cool enough to touch, cut into bite-sized pieces.

Cook the bacon and drain well on paper towels.

Whisk the vinegar and oil together in a small bowl.

When ready to serve, add the tomatoes, arugula, and olives to the potatoes then drizzle with the dressing. Toss to coat and add salt and pepper to taste. Put the goat cheese in the freezer for 5 minutes then use a fork to crumble it over the top of the salad. Sprinkle the bacon over the top and serve.

A few of my favorite things: Potato, leek and mushroom gratin

There are so many reasons to search for a recipe. Sometimes you have a craving, sometimes your husband has one. Sometimes you want to recreate a dish you've had before. Sometimes, you just want to use up what's in the fridge. Yesterday was one of the latter. Saturday I made another French Laundry recipe (post coming soon) and aside from a delicious meal, I had a fridge full of ingredients that I needed to use up - a couple leeks, some cream, the list went on. I was going to grill a rack of lamb for dinner so I thought a leek and potato side dish would be perfect.



So I began my search. Usually these searches result in a pile of at least 10-20 of my 100+ cookbooks strewn all over the island. This time I got it on the first try. I grabbed the Bon Appetit Cookbook, looked up leeks in the index and just about jumped for joy when I read that there was a Potato, Leek, Mushroom and Gruyere Gratin - perfect!!! Aside from potatoes and leeks, I also had a nearly full package of Crimini mushrooms. I scanned the recipe and found I'd need to substitute my Crimini mushrooms for the recommended oyster mushrooms and use Swiss in lieu of Gruyere. Easy enough. (And I used part cream, part lowfat milk to reduce the fat...)

This is a really nice gratin - I baked it in the afternoon and then reheated it for dinner. The mushrooms add a nice earthy flavor - try to cook the water out of them when you saute them to keep the gratin thick and creamy. My version follows - this would serve 4 as a side dish. The original is for a 13x9 inch pan, so I cut it in half to fit the ingredients I had (and to ensure we wouldn't be eating it for weeks to come!)



Potato, Leek, Mushroom and Cheese Gratin
adapted from the Bon Appetit Cookbook

2 Tbsp. butter, divided
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and pale green parts
leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme, minced (about 1 tsp.)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup cream (I used half cream, half lowfat milk)
3 Tbsp. dry white wine
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 2 large)
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. plain breadcrumbs

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until mushrooms are tender and golden and their liquid has evaporated. Transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl. In the same pan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Add the leeks and thyme. Saute until leeks are tender and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms and stir to combine. (This can be made a day ahead.)

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter a baking dish (about 9-inch square). Whisk broth, cream, wine, salt and pepper in a bowl to blend. Arrange 1/3 of potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/2 the mushroom leek mixture and 1/2 the Swiss cheese.



Create another layer of potatoes on top, then pour half the cream mixture over it. Add the remaining leek and mushroom mixture, then the remaining Swiss cheese. Top with the rest of the potatoes and then push the whole thing down with the back of a spatula. Pour the rest of the cream mixture over the top, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and sauce is bubbling thickly, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Greek potato salad with octopus

The third of 4 Greek recipes may not suit every reader, but read on - even without the octopus, this would be a great salad. I had actually chosen another salad for the dinner (which we'll save for the future), but my plans changed when I showed Jeff the recipes I was planning. You see, Vefa's Kitchen has throughout it spreads with photos of the recipes. The image opposite the salad I'd chosen was this one. Jeff pointed at it and said it would look more interesting on my blog (which means it would also taste better in his stomach). I scanned the ingredient list and the only challenge would be the star of the show: baby octopus. But we already had plans to head to Whole Foods the next morning so I said we'd check. As this proves, Whole Foods did indeed have fresh cleaned baby octopus.

It's a great recipe - bold flavors, a nice combination of textures, not too heavy, but a substantial first course. If the octopus scare you off, try the salad without or use some broiled shrimp instead.



Potato salad with octopus
adapted from Vefa's Kitchen

1/2 lb. baby octopus, cleaned
2 yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 ripe avocado
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small bunch baby arugula
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Sea salt

For the marinade:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. fresh squezzed lemon juice
1 red chile, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

For the tomato dressing:
1 ripe vine tomato, cubed
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
2 tsp. minced red onion
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Rinse the octopuses and cut them in half (unless they are very small). In a bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients then add the octopus. Mix to coat; cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.



Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain and let cool slightly, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with pepper.

Preheat the broiler. Drain the octopuses and broil them on a baking sheet until the legs curl and the bodies are cooke through, turning them once or twice. It should take about 5 minutes.

While the octopuses cook, arrange the arugula on a platter, place the potatoes over the top. Then cut the avocado into bite-sized pieces and arrange among the potatoes. Drizzle with the lemon juice. Sprinkle the sscallions over the salad.

Remove the octopuses from the oven and arrange them over the top of the salad. Spoon the dressing over the platter and then sprinkle with a bit of coarse sea salt. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-4.

Last Supper #8: Vimal Dhar

Indian chef Vimal Dhar listed 7 different dishes for his last supper, of which I selected three to make. All are Indian: Lamb Rogan Josh (chunks of lamb with yogurt, almonds, green chiles, and lots of spices), his recipe for tangy eggplant, and potatoes.

The lamb turned out wonderful. I'm not going to put the recipe here because Lamb Rogan Josh is a farily common dish so recipes aren't hard to come by.

The eggplant recipe appears in the book and I have to say we just didn't like it. The amount of spice paste in it overpowered the eggplant.

I couldn't find the specific potato recipe chef Dhar mentioned, so I chose one for Aloo Timatar (Potato and Tomato Curry with Cilantro) which appears in one of my very favorite cookbooks: From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes from the Indian Spice Trail. The book was a gift from my sister a few years ago and I don't think I've found a recipe in it I don't like. Here's the recipe for the potatoes:
Aloo Timatar (Potato and Tomato Curry with Cilantro)


Serves 4 to 6

• 1 1/2 pounds wxay boiling potatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 Tbsp. corn, peanut or olive oil
• 1/8 tsp. asefetida (substitute garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. whole mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup grated fresh tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp. plain yogurt
• 4 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Boil the potatoes, drain them and cool. Don't refrigerate. When cool enough to handle, peel them and cut or break into bite-sized pieces. Put them in a bowl and add the salt, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and turmeric. Toss to mix and set aside.

Pour oil in a lidded pot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the asefetida (or garlic powder), cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, put in the ginger and stir for a few seconds. Add the grated tomatoes. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until the oil separates from the tomato puree. Add the potatoes and stir to mix. Add 1 1/2 cups water, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes. (You can extend this cooking time and remove the cover to reduce the broth a bit if wanted. this will give a slightly thicker sauce)

Put the yogurt in a small bowl and beat lightly. Add about 4 Tbsp. of the sauce from the potatoes and mix it in. Stir in the cilantro then pour this mixture into the pot, stir to blend and check for salt.