Potato Salad

Hated Potato salad as a kid. Attended a couple of church picnics with my brother, and remember too well the taste of a salads made with miracle whip that had been in the sun just a little too long. Church suppers were strange enough territory for a young Catholic boy. My brother was brought up Wesleyan and perhaps my Mum was teaching me religious tolerance by sending me to a Protestant Picnic. Irregardless I didnt win the three legged race and it took me many years to try potato salad again.

2 lbs Potatoes (about two pounds)
2 stalks celery chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
1/4 green pepper chopped
4 hard boiled eggs sliced, reserve 4 clices for top, chop the rest
6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled reserve two for top
1 cup grated sharp scheddar divided
2 green onions chopped

1 1/2 cup mayonaise
1 tbs cidar vinegar or white
2 tbs mustard dijon preferred or yellow

partially peel potatoes and cook in boiling salted water until tender but still firm
Immediatly immerse in cold water
when potatoes are cool add to celery, red onion, green pepper and chopped egg, 1/2 cup cheese and 4 crumbled slices of bacon
whisk together mayo, mustard, vinegar salt pepper to taste. If I have some fresh herbs I might toss in
add dressing to potatoe mixture
garnish top with reserved eggs, bacon, cheese, and green onion if desired
chill about 4 hour before serving
and dont let it sit in the sun too long!

Chicken Saltimbocca

4 chicken breast halves

4 thin slices prosciutto

1 10 oz box frozen spinach lawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup grated parmesan or romanno

8 sage leaves

salt pepper

3/4 cup white wine

2 tbs Lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1 tbs sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 lb butter

2 green onions sliced

Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness between sheets of palstic wrap or in heavy freezer bags. If you dont have a flat meat mallet cover bottom of an empty wine bottle with pastic wrap. If you know me chances are you have one of these.

Lay slice of prosciutto on each chicken breast

Spread out thin layer spinach on top of chicken

Mince 4 sage leaves, sprinkle sage salt pepper on each. Divide cheese evenly on each breast. Quick drizzle olive oil.

Roll each breast like a chicken roll. Secure with a couple of tooth picks

Heat 2 tbsp olive il in large skillet medium high. Cook breasts about two minutes each side to brown.

Add wine to skillet, 4 addition sage leaves, lemon sugar and salt, bring to boil, reduce heat to low medium. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through about 10 minutes.

Remove chicken to platter, remove tooth picks, keep warm

meanwhle return liquid to boil, slowly add heavy cream until sauce thickens.

remove from heat. Add butter stirring constantly.

Add green onions.

Pour sauce over chicken and serve

Blueberry Pie

A blueberry bonanza at Winn Dixie last week!

Pastry 2 crusts- see peach pie recipe

2 pints blueberries (4 cups)

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar or less

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs butter

rinse and sort berries, pour lemon juice over berries

mix sugar flour cinnamon, sprinkle over berries mixing gently. allow to rest for a bit

Line pie pan with crust

Put Berries in crust. Place top crust over with lattice crust or vented top

Place in 450 F oven x 10 minutes then 350 F 35 minutes

You may need a foil guard over crust edge to keep from over browning

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Our parents party food!

1 cup cracker crumbs (a sleeve of saltines = 1 1/4 cup)
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp soy (soya) sauce
1 tsp worcestershire
salt and pepper

combine all the above and form into meat balls (I bought a handy dandy thing that looks like scissors but forms meat balls)
Place on foil lined rimmed cookie sheet and bake at 350 x 20 minutes. makes 40-50 meat balls

1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tbs corn starch

Combine all the above in sauce pan bring to boil
add cooked meatballs and simmer on low for about an hour

Peach Tart

Aunt Elaine's pie crust

5 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking pwd

1 lb shortening

1 egg

1 tbs white vinegar

water

mix first four ingredients with pastry blender

beat egg and vinegar in measuring cup. Add water to make one cup total

Add to dry ingredients, kneed lightly

wrap with plastic wrap and refridgerate at least one hour. Makes 5 single crusts approx and keeps well

8 large peaches peeled and pitted (you and drop peaches in boiling water for one minute for easy peeling or there are peelers available for soft fruit and tomatoes that work well)

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup sugar + 1 tbs

4 tbs flour

1 tbs butter in pieces

toss sliced peaches in lemon juice

mix flour and 1 cup sugar and toss well with peaches

roll out 1 crust to approx 11 inch circle on lightly floured surface

place pastry round on rimmed cookie sheet or pizza pan (you might line with foil for cleanup)

Spoon fruit mixture into center leaving a two inch border

Place butter pieces on fruit. Fold dough up and around fruit leaving an opening in center. Seal any breaks by brushing with water.

Sprinkle outside with sugar

Bake at 425 35-40 minutes

Scallops and Spinach

Bay of Fundy Scallops are very much missed by this Canuck Floridian

Publix sells Canadian scallops in their freezer section individually frozen and easy to use, although not as good they will do

Besides with a 30 year reunion coming up I might want to offset that pint of Haagan Dazz I ate last night

1 lb sea scallops

1/2 red pepper diced

1 stalk fennel diced optional ( I had fennel left over from yesterday's tomato soup)

1 shallot finely diced

1 lemon zested and juiced

1 pkg 10 oz spinach

salt pepper and nutmeg

wash scallops and dry well

heat frying pan medium high with tbs olive oil

add red pepper shallots and fennel and stir fry one minute

add spinach lemon zest and lemon juice and stir fry one minute adding salt pepper and nutmeg

remove veg mixture to plate

add tablespoon butter to fry pan

sear scallops2 minutes each side to sear side but not overcook season with salt and pepper

Place scallops over spinach and serve

Tomato Fennel Soup

Fennel can be used in a variety of ways. The bulb can be sliced, diced or quartered and served as a vegetable. The stems can replace celery in salads or stuffings

2 lb plum (roma) tomatoes

1 onion chopped

1 fennel bulb trimmed and chopped

3 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup white wine or vermouth

2 qts chicken stock

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 tbs herbs de provence

1 tbs sea salt

1 tbs worcestershire

generous amt ground black pepper

garnish with chopped fresh basil, croutons, grated cheese or green onions

Saute onion, fennel and garlic in three tbs olive oil stirring occasionaly until tender, about 10 mins.

Meanwhile drop tomatoes in boiling water x 1 minute. Peirce peal with shrap knife and peal tomatoes. Cut each in half and squeeze out seeds and excess water. Chop

Add wine to fennel and onion mixture and cook until liquid disappears

add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 5-10 minutes

Gradually add chicken stock, salt pepper and spices

Simmer 30 minutes