Posts Tagged ‘potatoes’

Rutabaga and Potato Puree

Posted October 14th 2010 under: recipes, side dishes, vegetarian
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This recipe is from the cookbook “Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmer’s Markets” by Deborah Madison.

The author notes that you need not worry about the exact amounts of potatoes and rutabagas.  And the more rutabagas you use, the less additional liquid needed.

1/2 lb potatoes
1 1/2 lbs rutabagas or mixed rutabagas and turnips
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
unsalted butter
freshly grated nutmeg
1 TBS chopped parsley and/or snipped chives

1. Peel potatoes (we usually peel our Big Woods Farm potatoes) and rutabagas, then chop then into chunks, making the rutabagas about half the size of the potatoes (and turnips, if using) since they take longer to cook.  Put them all in a saucepan and cover with cold water.  Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a boil.  Cook until soft enough to mash, about 25 minutes.

2. Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid water first, then return the vegetables to the pot and mash them with a potato masher, adding reserved liquid or warm milk or cream to thin it.  Scrape in a little nutmeg and taste for salt and season with peppers.  Serve with the parsley or chives scattered over the top.

Variations:
- Fold in toasted, chopped hazelnuts and serve the puree with a drizzle of hazelnut oil.
- Add 1 cup grated aged Cheddar or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Brown any leftovers in butter and serve with an arugula salad.

Potato Leek Soup

Posted September 24th 2010 under: recipes, soups, vegetarian
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This recipe can be easily modified (no bacon and vegetable stock instead of chicken) for a vegetarian version.

Serves 4- 6

Ingredients

  • 3 large leeks (about 2 cups chopped), cut lengthwise, cleaned and chopped in 1/4″ slices (horizontally).  Use only white and pale green parts.
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/2 t dried)
  • 1/2 tsp fresh majoram, chopped (or a dash dried)
  • 1/2 tsp (or to taste) red chili sauce — like Valentina (optional)
  • 2-3 strips bacon, sauteed until crisp (optional)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook leeks in butter with salt and pepper in a medium sized sauce pan.  Cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.  Do not brown!

Add water, broth and potatoes.  Bring to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Transfer about half of mixture to a blender; puree and return to pan.  Add spices, bacon and chile sauce to taste.  Season with salt (1-2 tsp) and pepper to taste.

Potato, Greens and Bread Soup

Posted June 24th 2010 under: basics, recipes, soups, vegetarian
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serves 4

This recipe is recommended by MPLS member Barbara Conti – her family likes it a lot and it’s fairly simple to make. She uses a mix of greens that she has on hand and does not peel the potatoes. The recipe is adapted from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, by Jack Bishop (Houghton Mifflin, 1997).

4 cups packed spinach leaves or other greens
1½ pounds new potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice
4½ cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper
2 cups cubed (½-inch) stale country bread
2 TBS good quality olive oil, or to taste

Place potatoes and stock in medium pot. Bring to a boil and cook briskly for 15 minutes. While the potatoes cook, prepare the greens. Remove stems, wash leaves and shake off excess water. Cut into ¾-inch wide strips. After the potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes, add the greens to the pot and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot. Continue coking until potatoes are falling apart and the greens are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the bread and cover the pot. Let sit for 5 minutes or until bread is very soft. Adjust seasonings and add hot water to thin the texture if desired. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle each with olive oil.

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