Fresh Tart

A potato galette is simply thin slices of potatoes, fat, and seasoning layered into a shallow pan and roasted until crusty and browned. It's traditional to serve alongside a roast of some sort, and definitely do that, because you can imagine crusty, buttery potatoes do a fine job of soaking up meaty juices of almost any type.

But a potato galette also makes a killer meal all on its own, particularly alongside (or underneath!) a tart arugula salad. In fact, invite people over if you make one, otherwise...you will eat the whole thing by yourself. As healthful as a tart arugula salad is, it will not offset the regret of eating an entire galette on your own; I know this from experience.

I make galettes two ways and I'll leave it to you to decide which you prefer: Just potatoes and butter, or potatoes and butter with cream. Both yield a crispy top and bottom, but the cream version is creamier vs. crispy. The boys in my house prefer the all-butter version, I prefer the cream. It was not a bad weekend enjoying both!

Buttery potatoes make me badly want a glass of wine, so I checked in with my friend Jason Kallsen, social media marketing for The Wine Company and author of The Grilling Man blog, for the perfect wine pairing. He suggests a richer wine but with acid, perhaps a fine-tuned California Chardonnay such as LIOCO Russian River Valley or Chateau Montelena.

I suggest you take his advice and enjoy together al fresco. This is Minnesota's most perfect outside dining weather, right now. Enjoy!

Recipe for Potato Galette at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

I've been meaning to post this recipe since the holidays, when I brought this dish to my aunt Mary & uncle Bruce's house for Christmas Day.  Time flies...

Actually, time doesn't fly in Minnesota between December and March, so I'm not sure what my excuse is.  But no matter, here it is.

Collard greens, for you (we) northerners, require longer cooking than say Swiss chard, spinach, or kale.  But that's what makes collards amazing - a slow simmer allows them to bathe long enough in smoky, porky broth to emerge...smoky and porky.  And meltingly tender.

Irresistible.  Doubters, trust me.

It's probably far from traditional, but I'm all about crispy pork, and from North Dakota, so I pull apart whatever I've used (smoked ham hock or shank, kielbasa) and brown in a little butter - yep - and make a meal of it.

Collard Greens
Adapted from Paula Deen via www.foodnetwork.com
Serves 4-6

1/2 lb. smoked meat (ham hocks or shanks, smoked turkey wings, or smoked neck bones)
1 Tbsp. house seasoning (below)
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. hot red pepper sauce
1 large bunch collard greens
1 Tbsp. butter

In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add smoked meat, house seasoning, salt, and hot sauce.  Reduce heat to medium and cook 1 hour (uncovered).

Wash collard greens thoroughly.  Remove the stems that run down the center by holding the leaf in your left hand and stripping the leaf down with your right hand.  The tender young leaves in the heart of the collards don't need to be stripped.  Stack 6-8 leaves on top of one another roll up, and slice into 1/2- to 1-inch thick slices.  Place greens in pot with meat and add butter.  Cook 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender.  Adjust seasoning when done.

House Seasoning
1/2 c. salt
2 Tbsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

My polentaaaah recipe at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine. I thought it was worth another look in this week before Christmas.  As delicious as cranberries are for Thanksgiving, I think they're even more perfect - red! - on the Christmas table.  Delicious with turkey, of course, but also pork or chicken. Or with tortilla chips as a festive appetizer.  Or spooned over cream cheese as a pretty spread for crackers.  You get the tasty idea... 

Cranberry sauce often gets short shrift during Thanksgiving meal-planning, but it shouldn't.  Relish serves an important purpose, namely giving your palate a break during a rich and multi-dish meal, elevating your appreciation of the whole.

A bit of heat is a welcome surprise on the holiday table, at least in Minnesota.  My mom has been surprising guests for years with the bite of horseradish in her well-loved cranberry mold.  I riffed on that idea by poking around for a fresh cranberry salsa recipe and found a beauty.  Jalapenos?  Yes.  Raw cranberries?  Yes, yes.  With cilantro and a hint of sweet, the salsa is at once utterly familiar and completely new and refreshing.

It's also a snap to put together, better if made ahead, beautiful on the plate, and after serving with Herb-Roasted Turkey and Warm Brussels Salad...the leftovers are delicious with tortilla chips.  Pretty perfect in my book.

Fresh Cranberry Salsa
Adapted from All Recipes

1 (12 ounce) bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, cut into 3-inch lengths
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 limes, juiced
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt

Combine cranberries, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a medium blade. Chop to medium consistency. Refrigerate overnight. Serve at room temperature.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.  It's hard to say much more about Sweet Potato Fries than: They are easy.  They are delicious.

I spotted sweet potatoes at the farmers market the other day and immediately imagined sweet potato "fries," roasted in the oven until tender and just-browned, served with plenty of crunchy salt, mmmm...  While I enjoyed the image, I also pictured my husband and teens turning up their noses at the sight of them (sigh), so I only bought a few, just enough to make a pretty photo to share with you.

As I peeled the potatoes, both kids asked what I was making.  I know how this goes - I say tomato salad, or green beans, or roasted cauliflower, and they at best say no thanks.  But tonight, they both said, "Great, I love sweet potato fries."  Huh?  While it was tempting to remind them that no, they don't like sweet potato fries (I enjoy being right more than I enjoy most things), not even I am that thick.  So I raised only one eyebrow, not two, and smiled to myself as they cheerfully split the last fry.

It was...awesomely weird.

So if you're in the mood for odd teenage behavior, as well as easy, delicious sweet potato fries, this recipe is for you.  The crispy sage only takes a minute to prepare and makes the potatoes particularly addictive (and in fact will have you fantasizing about other dishes to crumble it on).

Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic & Fried Sage
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, November 2008
Serves 4

1/4 c. olive oil
12 fresh sage leaves
2 large garlic cloves, minced to a paste
1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/2"-thick pieces
coarse salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with rack in upper third of oven.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then fry sage leaves in 2 batches, stirring, until crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute per batch.  Transfer with a slotted spoon or tongs to paper towels to drain.  Remove pan from heat, reserving oil.

Put potatoes and garlic in a large bowl. Toss with reserved oil, sprinkle generously with coarse salt, then toss again.  Spread potatoes evenly on the lined baking sheet and place in the oven.  Bake for 10 minutes, turn potatoes over, and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browning and spots.

Roughly crumble fried sage over the potatoes, add more coarse salt to taste, and serve immediately.

It is so dark today (in Minnesota), I'm lucky I was able to take a recognizable photo.  Flash flood warnings abound, as apparently we're about to be deluged with days of cold, fall rain.

Good times.

To cheer myself up, I just add pork, to just about anything, and really, I feel better.  I made a big pan of Swiss chard for a dinner party last Friday night, with raisins, pine nuts, and...pancetta.  I bought an extra slice, knowing I could put it to good use somewhere this week.

Needless to say, when I started thinking about what to make for dinner tonight, all I could think about was that pancetta.  I decided that this round it would rock with roasted cauliflower.

I stirred in minced garlic, fresh thyme, and grated Parmesan cheese at the end for an extra boost of flavor.  I pretty much had this for dinner, crusty and rich, but it would be perfect tossed with pasta or alongside steaks or salmon as well.

I also enjoyed a glass of the lovely wine I received last night at the grand opening celebration for Surdyk's Wine Flights, a wine market & bar newly opened at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

Yes, John & I made our way out to the airport, and through security, to attend a party!  Really fun, especially to sample truly delicious food & wine (at an airport!) and to chat with food writers Crystal Grobe (Cafe Cyan, WCCO Bite of Minnesota), Maja Ingeman (Heavy Table), and Kate Sommers (Fork, Knife, and Spoon, Heavy Table, CityPages Foodography).

I arrived at the party several mintues later than John, stressing a bit that he wouldn't know anyone there...and discovered him happily chatting away, full plate of food and glass of wine in hand.

Next time you're at MSP, stop in for a pre- or post-flight glass of wine and snack.  Or even better - I'm a bit obsessed with this idea - buy yourself a baguette, gorgeous cheese, and a bottle of wine to enjoy on the plane.  A plane picnic!  How cool is that?

And oh, check out yet one more pork idea, the Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Apple Salsa I posted this week at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine.  The only thing better than pork is pork with apples.

Stay dry, friends!

Roasted Cauliflower with Pancetta, Garlic, & Parmesan
Serves 4

1 slice pancetta, 1/4-inch thick, cut into 1/4-inch dice (substitute bacon, if you like)
1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1 Tbsp. olive oil
coarse salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a small skillet over medium-low heat, saute pancetta until evenly golden brown.  Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta to a paper towel, reserving drippings.

Place cauliflower florets in a large bowl.  Drizzle pancetta drippings over cauliflower, add olive oil, and toss to coat.  Add a generous sprinkle of coarse salt and toss again.  Spread cauliflower evenly on a baking sheet, making sure that all the cauliflower is touching the pan.  Place pan in oven and roast cauliflower for 15 minutes.  Turn florets and roast for another 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is nicely brown in spots.

While cauliflower roasts, stir together garlic, Parmesan cheese, and thyme in a small bowl. When cauliflower is done, sprinkle garlic/cheese mixture over cauliflower and stir.  Return to the oven for 2 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant and cheese is just browning.  Season with additional salt if necessary, top with pancetta, and serve hot.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine, plus I've written about this dish here before too.  What can I say?  It's one of my favorites.  I thought I'd better put it out there one last time before lovely cherry tomatoes say good-bye until next summer...

If you like tomatoes and bread - which of course you do - then you'll love this simple summer gratin.  Cherry tomatoes and bread are tossed with garlic, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and olive oil, then baked until the bread is crusty and the tomatoes are tender and just starting to burst.  I could sit down with the pan and call it dinner, but that's not very friendly, so instead I make a big salad and split it with my family.  It makes a terrific, easy dinner party dish, especially alongside grilled lamb chops or a whole roasted chicken.

If you manage to save a smidge for leftovers - and that's no small feat - the gratin is fantastic the next day, reheated until hot and crunchy and topped with a poached egg.  Add a shower of more fresh herbs, plenty of salt and pepper, and you've got yourself a killer brunch.

Cherry Tomato & Bread Gratin
Jacques Pepin
Serves 4

One 6-oz piece of day-old French baguette with crust, cut into 1-inch cubes (although fresh bread works nicely too)
1 1/2 lbs. small cherry tomatoes
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly oil a 10-inch ceramic quiche dish.  In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the tomatoes, olive oil garlic, parsley, 1/2 c. Parmesan, and salt and pepper.  Scrape the mixture into the baking dish and bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the bread cubes are browned and crisp and the tomatoes are very tender.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine. I include it here today in honor of the Great Minnesota Get Together, aka the Minnesota State Fair, which begins tomorrow.  The grilled corn at the State Fair is sick it's so good.  Don't watch while they drench - drench! - it in melted butter and you'll enjoy it completely.

When I was a kid, I would eat corn only directly from the cob.  Even if the corn were freshly sliced onto a plate, it lost its popping-in-the-mouth sensation, and therefore its flavor and fun.  You might have spent the summer of '72 finding the Stairway to Heaven in the backseat of a Ford Torino.  I spent it toothless, cornless, and depressed (in a 5-year-old way), thanks to a mid-July bike crash with my not-friend Stacy.

These days my corn truth is more about freshness, butter, and salt than it is about cob vs. plate.  I've come to prefer grilled corn over boiled - a few million Minnesota State Fair-goers might agree with me.  Even if you're a sweet corn purist, trust me that corn's sweetness is set off nicely by subtle smoky heat and a squirt of fresh lime.  A finishing crumble of tangy queso fresco can turn it all into a meal.

On or off the cob.  Yeah.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter
Adapted from www.epicurious.com

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. minced cilantro or Italian parsley

8 large ears of corn, husked

lime wedges
coarse salt

optional: crumbled queso fresco (or feta) cheese

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced chipotles, fresh lime juice, and cilantro or parsley.  Remove from heat.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill corn until cooked through and blackened in spots, turning frequently, about 6 minutes. Before taking the corn off the grill, brush generously with chipotle butter.  Remove corn to a large platter.  Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and optional queso fresco.  Serve with lime wedges.

It has bothered me that I didn't snap a pic of The Pioneer Woman Crash Hot Potatoes I made on July 4th.  I know...I'm weird.  But there it is, and here I am, and now I have a pic of the potatoes.

Which is good, since I've made them three times since July 4th.  What can I say?  They're addictive.  Especially with the minced preserved lemon I added to the basic recipe.  Really anything with preserved lemon is delicious, but crunchy, salty potatoes with preserved lemon?  The Kill.  Here's the recipe for the version I put together.

If you recall, on the 4th I served them alongside no-fail pork ribs and mini burgers.  I've since served them with grilled steaks with herb butter, grilled lamb chops, and tonight's version - greens dressed with a harissa vinaigrette, topped with olives and almonds, and finished with a poached egg.

That's right, another poached egg.  Some people eat chocolate several times per week.

I eat poached eggs.

In fact, if you're new to reading Fresh Tart, courtesy of Food News Journal, Minnesota Public Radio, Minnesota Monthly magazine, Twitter, or Facebook - thank you for stopping by.  I'm honored that you clicked through.  And I hope that you find tasty things!

Since I'm about as northern as they come (I've spent my whole life in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota), I never knew how much I like fresh okra.  But oh do I like it, it's become one of my very favorite vegetables, especially in this simple, pretty saute.  There's nothing slimy about this dish - the fresh okra emerges tender-crisp and sweet.  Combined with warm tomatoes and sweet onion, all set off perfectly with a little bacon, I could eat a whole panful and call it dinner.

But that would a shame, since grilled pork or shrimp love snuggling up to this dish.  As does - as you can see above - a bowl of soft, creamy polenta.  This was my lunch today, yep.  Couldn't beat it with a wooden spoon.

Saute of Tomatoes and Okra with Bacon
Adapted from The Gift of Southern Cooking by Edna Louis & Scott Peacock
Serves 6

Author’s note: this simple summer sauté is full of flavor, and color.  The okra should be just tender and bright green, the onion cooked but still a bit crunchy, and the tomatoes just warmed through, with a very fresh taste.  This is a nice way to use the different heirloom tomatoes from your own garden or varieties that you can find at a farmers’ markets, but any ripe, juicy garden tomato would be delicious.

5 slices bacon, diced
4 c. okra, washed, trimmed, and sliced 1/2-inch thick (about 1 lb.; I found fresh okra at the farmer's market this past weekend)
1 large onion, cut into 1/3-inch wedges
1/2 tsp. salt, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 medium heirloom or garden tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (about 2 1/2 cups)

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Add the sliced okra to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, over moderate heat for 10 minutes.  Add the onion wedges, salt, and pepper, and continue cooking, still stirring, for 5 minutes.  Toss in the tomato wedges, and reduce the heat to low.  Cook, partially covered, just until tomatoes are heated through, 3-4 minutes.  Carefully taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed.  Serve warm.