POTATO SALAD

Potato Salad

Use this to accompany bowls of gumbo.  New Orleans potato salad has a texture of "almost mashed potatoes".  some people will omit pickles if it is intended for gumbo.

2 pounds medium-size red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

6 hard-cooked eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon TABASCO® brand Original Red Sauce

1 sweet pickle, finely chopped (I like dill pickle instead, and in the summer I like to add about a Tablespoon of chopped fresh dill)

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

Fill a 3-quart saucepan two-thirds full of cold water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook over medium heat about 15 minutes or until tender; drain.

Peel eggs and separate yolks and whites; chop whites and set aside. Mash yolks in a large bowl and stir in oil and vinegar. Add mayonnaise, TABASCO® Sauce and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Dice potatoes and add to mayonnaise mixture along with pickle, celery, bell pepper and egg whites. Mix well and refrigerate until 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

MUSSELS in TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

I particularly like these mussels with their astringent dressing - an ice-cold beer would be the perfect accompaniment.

Ingredients
750g/1lb 10oz large, rope-grown mussels
1 medium vine-ripened tomato, skinned, roughly chopped
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
2 pickled cornichons (mini gherkins), finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 tbsp finely chopped green pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped red pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley

MUSSELS IN TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Wash the mussels in cold water and scrape off any barnacles with a knife. Discard any that don`t show signs of closing when squeezed gently, then pull out the tough fibrous beards protruding from between the closed shells.

Heat a large, heavy-based pan over a high heat. Add the mussels and two tablespoons of water, cover and shake around for 2-3 minutes, or until the mussels have just opened. Drain into a colander and leave until cool enough to handle. (Discard any mussels that do not open.)

Break away the empty, top half-shell from each mussel. Release the meat in the other shell, but leave it in place. Place them side by side on a serving platter.

For the dressing, put the chopped tomato into a mini food processor and blend until smooth. Add the vinegar, oil and some salt and pepper to taste and blend briefly once more to combine.

Tip into a small bowl and stir in the capers, cornichons, red onion, green pepper, red pepper and parsley. Spoon some of the dressing over each mussel and serve at room temperature.

SWEET POTATO and GINGER SALAD

Sweet-Potato and Ginger Salad

Serves 4

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a nonstick rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, coarse salt, and ground pepper; roast until fork-tender, about 35 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together fresh orange juice, oil, minced fresh ginger, and Dijon mustard.

Add scallions and potatoes; toss to coat with dressing. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

To make ahead, prepare the recipe through step 2, and then cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. Just before serving, proceed with step 3.

MARQUISE au CHOCOLAT

Marquise au Chocolat

Makes 8 to 10 servings

The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were good times for French pastry chefs. Kings still reigned, aristocrats were scattered around the country, and everyone with a title who could afford sugar and a chef wanted special sweets. It's likely that the Marquise au Chocolat comes from this period. A frozen chocolate mousse, it starts off as a simple sweet, but in the hands of someone's chef, it could become baroque. Even at home, the possibilities for getting fancy with this sweet are just about limitless.

Traditionally, the marquise is packed into a loaf pan, frozen, and then sliced just before serving. This is exceedingly practical, since you can make the dessert weeks ahead; use what you need and keep the rest in the freezer for the next dinner party. The mousse also lends itself to being made in mini loaf pans or even small ramekins — when unmolded, these look very professional.

Similarly, the marquise can be plain or surprising. Often you'll find pieces of Petit Beurre or Biscoff (speculoos) cookies inside it, or the mousse might rest on a cookie or crumb base. Truly, anything that goes with chocolate (and that can stand up to freezing) is fair game for an addition.

A word on the eggs: The yolks in this recipe are not cooked, so it's important to use very fresh eggs, preferably organic and/or from a trusted local source.

1 stick (8 tablespoons; 4 ounces; 113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

13 ounces (369 grams) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 very fresh large-egg yolks, preferably organic, at room temperature

1/3 cup (67 grams) sugar, plus

3 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or a pinch of fine sea salt

1½ cups (355 ml) very cold heavy cream

Line an 8½-×-4½-inch or 9-×-5-inch loaf pan with plastic film, leaving some overhang to make unmolding easier.

Put a large heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Drop in the pieces of butter, cover with the chocolate, and heat slowly, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients have melted; don't let the chocolate get too hot. When the chocolate and butter have melted, you should have a thick, velvety mixture. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let cool for 15 minutes.

Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the yolks, 1/3 cup of the sugar and the salt at medium speed until the mixture pales and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Turn the yolk mixture out onto the chocolate and butter and, with a flexible spatula or a whisk, gently fold together. Don't worry about being thorough now; you're going to fold again soon.

Wipe out the mixer (or mixing) bowl and pour in the heavy cream. Whip the cream until it shows the first sign of thickening, then slowly and steadily add the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and beat until the cream holds firm peaks. Spoon it onto the chocolate and very gently fold it in.

Spoon the mousse into the prepared pan, pushing it into the corners and smoothing the top. Fold the edges of the plastic film over the mousse and then wrap the pan in more plastic film. Freeze the marquise for at least 6 hours. (The marquise can be frozen for up to 1 month.)

To unmold, unwrap the pan, pull the edges of the plastic film away from the marquise and tug on the plastic to release the marquise. If the marquise is recalcitrant, dip the bottom of the pan in hot water for about 15 seconds, then try again. Turn the marquise over onto a platter or cutting board and serve immediately. (If it's more convenient for you, you can unmold the marquise and return it to the freezer for a few hours before serving.)

Serving: The best way to slice the marquise is to use dental floss or a warm knife--run a long-bladed knife under hot water and wipe it dry. Cut the marquise into slices that are a scant 1 inch thick. If you can serve the slices on cold plates, so much the better. Traditionally the marquise is served with vanilla crème anglaise, a lovely match. If you're rushed for time, you can serve it with faux crème anglaise: melted premium-quality vanilla ice cream. It is also good with whipped cream or crème fraîche.

Storing: Wrapped airtight, the marquise will keep in the freezer for up to 1 

Month

10 MINUTE RAW PICKLES

HOW TO: Make raw pickles in just 10 minutes

  

If you think fermentation is kind of intimidating and you have never pickled anything before, this raw pickling method will make you feel proud. It's so simple and straightforward that there is nothing to fear about it -- nothing can go wrong. Just cut your vegetables into sticks and cram them inside a jar, add some brine made from equal parts of white vinegar and sugar, and then just throw in some spices like mustard grains and whole black peppercorns. 

Pickling can be a delicious choice for so many vegetables and this 10-minute project will help you to bottle up your favorite veggies to enjoy them through the following months. Experiment with whatever you have on hand -- we have chosen carrots, red bell peppers and zucchini -- but you could also try pickling cucumbers, beets, parsnips, cauliflower, squash, onions and even beans. Healthy, vegan, gluten and salt-free, enjoy them as an appetizer, inside a sandwich or as a vinegary, sweet with heat crunchy treat.

1 large or a bunch of small carrots

1 red bell pepper

1 zucchini

Optional: 2 large onions, red or white

2 cups of sugar (or 1 cup sugar and 1 cup pickling salt)

2 cups of white distilled vinegar (apple vinegar is also fine)

2 tbsp of mustard grains

2 tbsp of black pepper corns

Optional:  about 20 garlic cloves

2 or 3 glass jars

2. Cut the vegetables into sticks or other appropriate shapes ie discs, chunks or shreds etc.

3. Pack them inside the jars

Place the vegetable sticks standing and stuffed inside the jars. You can separate them by type or mingle them.

Cut the carrots (don’t peel them if they are organic), red bell pepper and zucchini into sticks. They shouldn’t be longer than the height of the jar.

4. Prep the brine

In a medium saucepan, combine a cup of sugar and a cup of vinegar over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar (and salt if using) dissolves and the liquid starts getting thicker.

5. Add the spices

Turn the heat off and add the mustard grains and black peppercorns (nd optional garlic cloves)into the pan. Let it sit and cool down for about 10 minutes.

6. Pour in

Pour the brine over the vegetables until nearly the top of the jar. Let it cool completely, seal the jars and shake them gently to disperse spices. Keep refrigerated for weeks.

GARLIC CHILI SAUCE

GARLIC CHILI SAUCE

1 to 1½ cups fresh chilies, stems trimmed

2 cloves fresh garlic

⅓ cup rice or cane vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Purée in a blender.  Put into a jar.  Let sit at room temperature for a week and refrigerate.  INCENDIARY!  Gets more tasty the older it gets.  ADDICTIVE.

CHICKEN in VINEGAR SAUCE

CHICKEN in VINEGAR SAUCE

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

One 3 3/4 pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a large, deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the olive oil. Add the garlic. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned all over, about 8 minutes. Add the vinegar and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm.

Boil the sauce over moderately high heat until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Peel the garlic cloves and mash them into the sauce. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir in the parsley; season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

SOUTHERN GREENS

Southern Greens

Use a smoked turkey wing instead of bacon, it's just as good. Buy those big bags of greens they sell year round in the markets these days. You can use any or many varieties of greens, collards, turnip, mustard, beet greens or even poke salet (my favorite). Righteous greens are a revelation. The turkey wing idea came by way of the Abyssinian Baptist Church's Health Ministry.
Yields 8-12 servings

4 lbs turnip greens- starting weight before washing, trimming and chopping (note: may need to add batches of greens as they are cooking down)

4 ounces Smoked Bacon
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sorghum syrup
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
6 cups water (note: add water if needed so the liquid meets the surface of the cooked greens in the pot)

Roughly chop raw bacon and render in a large stockpot over low heat for 5 minutes before adding chopped onion. Increase to medium high heat and cook until onions are translucent. Add crushed red pepper, brown sugar, sorghum, vinegar and water and bring to a boil. 

Add cleaned and chopped greens and simmer for approximately four hours, stirring occasionally and adding extra water if needed. Once greens are fully cooked and tender, taste for seasoning and add salt if desired.