Herby Green Goddess Potato Salad

July 30, 2024July 30, 2024 Belinda

Recipe by Nina Moskowitz

Baby gold-fleshed potatoes tossed in a green goddess dressing, topped with dill parsley and scallions.
Tender herbs get blitzed into zingy sour cream and luscious mayo, with both lemon zest and juice to keep everything bright. The skins are left on the potatoes for texture. Feel free to use any small variety of potatoes to make this salad, such as fingerlings, baby gold, or creamers. My personal favorites are the tricolored peewees for their petite size and vibrant skins. Just make sure to cut them in half to allow for the dressing to properly hug the potatoes and absorb into their interiors. This side dish tastes best after chilling in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Finishing the dish with even more herbs and olive oil is completely optional but gives it that extra bit of goddess glow.

**Be sure to let the dressed potato salad rest for at least two hours before serving. It will look like a lot of dressing at first but the potatoes soak it up as the dish sits.

Serves 4-6

2 lb. small potatoes, preferably tricolored peewees, scrubbed
3¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2 tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
10 scallions, divided
3 garlic cloves
1½ cups (lightly packed) dill sprigs, divided
1½ cups (lightly packed) parsley leaves with tender stems, divided
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1½ cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; plus more for drizzling (optional)
1½ tsp. freshly ground pepper; plus more (optional)

Place 2 lb. small potatoes, preferably tricolored peewees, scrubbed, in a large pot and pour in water to cover by at least 2″. Add a generous pinch of kosher salt and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until fork-tender, 15–20 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop 8 scallions, 3 garlic cloves, 1 cup (lightly packed) dill sprigs, and 1 cup (lightly packed) parsley leaves with tender stems, and place in a blender. Add zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1½ cups mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2 tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1½ tsp. freshly ground pepper and blend on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour dressing into a large bowl.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and add to dressing. Thinly slice remaining 2 scallions on a diagonal; finely chop remaining ½ cup (lightly packed) dill sprigs and remaining ½ cup (lightly packed) parsley leaves with tender stems. Transfer about ¼ cup scallion mixture to a small bowl and set aside for serving. Add remaining scallion mixture to potato salad and toss until potatoes are evenly coated in dressing and scallion mixture. Taste potato salad and add more salt if needed. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, top potato salad with reserved scallion mixture. Season with more pepper and drizzle with more oil if desired.

Do Ahead: Potato salad (without toppings) can be made 12 hours ahead. Keep chilled. Cover and chill reserved scallion mixture separately.

Greek Potato salad

July 4, 2023July 4, 2023 Belinda

This Greek potato salad recipe by food blog “Foodiecrush” is a tangy spin on the traditional potato salad, with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, feta cheese and a zesty Greek dressing that brings big, bold flavor.

Serves 10

2lbs petite white or red potatoes
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
7 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 oz capers, drain and reserve brine
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Greek Salad Dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Add the potatoes to a medium pot and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch, then bring to a boil. Add 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt, reduce to a rolling simmer, and cook until tender or when the potatoes can be pierced with a fork or skewer, about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing.
To a jar fitted with a lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dry mustard, oregano, thyme, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Top with lid, shake well, and set aside.

The potatoes are done cooking when they can be easily pierced with a sharp knife or skewer. Drain them. Then when the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half or into bite-sized chunks, depending on how big they are. While they’re still warm, drizzle with the reserved caper brine, toss, and set aside to cool.

Add the kalamata olives, red onion, capers, sun dried tomatoes, and dill. Gently toss with the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste, then top with the feta cheese.
Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. This salad is best served at least an hour after cooking so the potatoes absorb the dressing and flavor. Keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Roast potatoes with green sauce and tahini

June 19, 2023June 19, 2023 Belinda

Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 4-6
1.5kg Yukon Gold potatoes (or other floury, golden potato), peeled and cut into 5 cm (1.5″) chunks
20g parsley, leaves picked
10g basil, leaves picked
10g mint, leaves picked
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated
180ml olive oil
1 tbsp capers
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
55g tahini
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted, lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar
Fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 220C (425F)
Bring a medium pot of well salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 6 minutes, just until the outsides have softened but are not cooked through the centre.
Meanwhile, place 80 ml of oil in a large 40 x 30cm (11″ by 15″) shallow roasting tray and put in the oven to heat up.
Once the potatoes are ready, strain them through a colander in the sink. Transfer the potatoes into the saucepan and wait 30 seconds for the moisture to evaporate, then shake the saucepan to fluff up the potatoes.

Using a kitchen cloth carefully remove the roasting tray from the oven and place on a flat heat proof surface, then transfer the potatoes onto the tray with the hot oil. Spread the potatoes evenly on the tray, making sure they do not touch, then roast for 30-40 minutes. Using tongs, turn the potatoes every 10 minutes until they turn golden and crispy all over.
Meanwhile, place the herbs and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely chopped, then slowly pour in the remaining 100 ml of oil. Once combined, add the capers, mustard, vinegar and ¼ teaspoon salt and pulse to combine.
Next make the tahini sauce by whisking the tahini, 3 tablespoons of water and ¼ teaspoon of salt. The sauce will seize up at first, keep whisking until it relaxes and becomes light and fluffy. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary; you want it smooth and pourable. You can add cumin or garlic to this if you want more flavor.

Once the potatoes are roasted, transfer them to a medium mixing bowl, leaving behind any roasting oil in the tray, and toss with 3 tablespoons of the green sauce.
To serve, transfer the potatoes onto a lipped serving platter. Drizzle the remaining green sauce over the top, and the tahini sauce, then sprinkle the cumin over the top.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Vegetable-related

Asparagus with labneh, brown butter and burnt lemon

June 3, 2023June 3, 2023 Belinda

Ottolenghi’s super recipe.

It’s no secret that asparagus enjoys a good soak in the old brown-butter (bubble) bath, which we’ve generously accommodated for. There are so many textures going on here, from tender asparagus to creamy labneh and hints of burnt lemon. The burnt lemon is a clever way to use up excess lemon peel by roasting it on a high heat until nicely charred. The result: a fragrant, bitter and intense condiment to sprinkle on to both sweet and savory dishes. Plan ahead by making the labneh the night before or, alternatively, use store-bought labneh or some thick-set Greek yoghurt.

Serves 4

900g thick-stemmed asparagus (2–3 bunches), woody ends trimmed (450g)
3 tbsp olive oil
70g unsalted butter
2 sprigs of thyme, plus 1 tsp picked leaves
1 tsp light soft brown sugar
salt and black pepper

Labneh:
650g Greek-style yoghurt
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

Burnt lemon:
2 unwaxed lemons

1. Make the labneh by putting the yoghurt and ½ teaspoon of salt into a bowl and mixing well to combine. Line a medium sieve with a piece of cheesecloth or a clean tea towel, with plenty of cloth hanging over the sides. Add the yoghurt, using the overhanging cloth to completely encase it, then set the sieve over a clean bowl and place a weight on top (a couple of tins will do). Refrigerate overnight. When the labneh is ready, discard the liquid collected and transfer the labneh to a clean bowl. You’ll make about 300g of labneh. Stir in the garlic and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 220°C.

3. Make the burnt lemon. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the lemons into long strips – don’t worry if you get some of the pith. You want 30g in total. Set aside a couple of strips and put the remainder on a small baking parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 9–12 minutes, until completely dry and mostly blackened (they’ll shrivel up significantly). Finely grind with a pestle and mortar, then pass through a sieve, to catch any large pieces (discard these). Set the burnt lemon powder aside. Scrape away any pith from the reserved strips, and very finely julienne them. Set aside.

4. Reset the oven to a high grill setting. Put the asparagus, oil, ¾ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper on a large baking tray lined with foil, give everything a good mix, then arrange the spears so they’re not overlapping. Grill on the highest shelf for 8–10 minutes, until tender and nicely browned. Ovens can vary, so check at the 6-minute mark.

5. Meanwhile, make the browned butter by first putting the butter into a small saucepan and placing it on a medium-high heat. Once melted, continue to cook for a further 3–4 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until nicely browned and smelling nutty. Add the thyme sprigs (careful, the fat will spit!), then stir in the brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon of the burnt lemon powder and ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Set aside to cool down slightly, about 5 minutes.

6. While the butter is cooling, segment one of the peeled lemons. Use a small sharp knife to trim away any excess pith, then cut between the membranes to release the segments and roughly chop each into 3–4 pieces. Juice the remaining lemon to give you 4 teaspoons of juice. Add the juice and all the segments to the browned butter mixture.

7. Spread the labneh out on a platter or plate, and top with the asparagus, so that the spears are all facing in the same direction. Pour over the browned butter, then scatter over the picked thyme. Lastly, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the burnt lemon powder and the lemon strips.