Pink eye potato latkes with bresaola, quail eggs and parsley apple salad from the Agrarian Kitchen!

Pink eye potato latkes with bresaola, quail eggs and parsley apple salad:

Ingredients (for 8):

2.4 kg potatoes

250 ml (1 cup) clarified butter or ghee

18 slices bresaola

16 quail eggs

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 apple (preferably tart)

2 handfuls parsley leaves, washed and drained

1 tbsp tiny salted capers, rinsed

Ingredients for dressing:

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp dijon mustard

juice from 1 lemon

3 tsp white wine vinegar

300 ml extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Have another clean tea towel ready. Working quickly, take a  handful of potato and firmly squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible, then transfer into the second bowl. Repeat until all potato is dry, then season with salt and pepper, mixing well.

2. Heat 2 tbsp butter in small frying pan, add enough potato to cover bottom by about 1-2 cm and cook for 6-7 minutes each side over low-medium heat until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in an oven. Repeat with remaining butter and potato.

3. Bring a saucepan of water to boil over high heat, add quail eggs and cook for one minute, then remove and immediately refresh in iced water, add vinegar and set aside for 1-2 minutes. Peel and set aside.

4. For vinaigrette, place garlic cloves in a mortar and using a pestle, finely crush. Add mustard, lemon juice and vinegar and whisk to combine, then whisk in olive oil.

5. To serve place a latke on each plate, top with cured meat and halved eggs. Toss together parsley, apple and capers with a little of the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

I know I’ve posted another Caprese salad recipe here before, but this was a great recipe and I had to add it. Each is an individual servings, and they would be great as appetizers for a party or as a nice, light lunch. I made 1/3 of the recipe, which was more than enough for three people. The whole recipe is listed below, and comes from Ina Garten’s “Back to Basics” cookbook.

Ingredients:

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise.

1/4 c. good olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp sugar

kosher salt and ground pepper

12 oz fresh salted mozzarella

12 fresh basil leaves, julienned.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
2. Prepare the tomatoes. Cut in half lengthwise, using a spoon to scoop out the seeds but not the cores. 
3. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle on garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper.  
4. Roast for two hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize.
5. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.
6. Cut mozzarella into slices slightly less than 1/2 in thick. My cookbook suggests that you layer the cheese and tomatoes in alternating order, but I preferred to make each one its own little cup of  tastyness.
7. Scatter the basil on top, then add more salt and pepper.  Drizzle olive oil lightly over the dish.
8. A balsamic reduction like I used in the last caprese salad would go fabulously on top of this dish.

Serves: 12-24. Nutrition based on 12 servings.

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is one of my favorite salad dressings. I’ve seen several variations, but I used a modification of THIS recipe today. I’ve seen others that only consist of balsamic and maple. I used it on my Kale Salad with Prosciutto, Cranberries, and Baked Goat Cheese. Its very flexible, however, and goes especially well with most goat cheese salads.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients in a blender. Pulse until blended, tasting every so often until you achieve a taste you like. If too balsamic-y, add more oil or more maple syrup.

2) Transfer to container for holding, or a dispenser made especially for dressings and oils.

3) Enjoy on your salads!

Kale Salad with Prosciutto, Cranberries, and Baked Goat Cheese

While waiting for the pizza dough to rise, I decided to make this salad for my mom and I to tide us over. Its pretty simple and very tasty! It goes fabulously with this Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

Kale

Prosciutto

Cranberries

Goat Cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a toaster oven or standard oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut goat cheese into 1/2 in thick slices. Cut one slice per salad and place on a folded sheet of aluminum foil, then place in oven. Allow to bake until cheese is soft, warm and beginning to melt.

1. In the meantime, wash and spin kale in a salad spinner. Once most of the water has been spun off,  put into a serving dish.
2. Tear prosciutto by hand and toss into salad.
3. Add cranberries.
4. Once cheese has melted, place on top of salad. Add pepper to taste, then pour some of the Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette over the entire salad. Serve warm.

Big Cooking Day!

Hi all! Today I’m taking a day off from the gym, which leaves me with a lot of time to start preparing some recipes! I’ve got a bunch that I’m going to be making for posts to come, and I thought I’d give an update as to what I’m going to be preparing for the next couple of blog posts.

Recipes:

• Garlic hummus with home-baked pita chips
• Homemade Pizza
• Semi-homemade lemon Greek yogurt
• Kale salad with baked goat cheese, prosciutto, and cranberries with a maple balsamic vinaigrette
• Unsweetened Iced Green Tea

I’ll get back to you all later on how the cooking went!

Summer Caprese Salad

As an accompaniment to the Tuscan Lemon Chicken that we made for company, we decided to make a fresh Caprese Salad. It was pretty easy to make, and tasted very delicious and fresh.

Ingredients:

2 med-large tomatoes

1-2 large balls fresh mozzarella,

1/3 c balsamic vinegar

1-2 tbsp olive oil

12 leaves fresh basil

salt

sugar

pepper

Directions:

1) Put balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Turn on over low heat and stir occasionally. Heat until reduced, or until the balsamic is syrupy.

2) Slice tomatoes into slightly thick slices. Salt and sugar them, then let sit for about fifteen minutes.

3) Cut fresh Mozzarella balls. Try and slice them evenly, so that they layer well with the tomatoes.

4) Arrange on a platter, alternating tomato and Mozzarella. Slip a fresh basil leaf in between each separate cluster.

5) Once the Balsamic has reduced, drizzle over the tomatoes, cheese and basil. Repeat with the olive oil.

6) Pepper and serve!

Hint and suggestions:

• Roast some pine nuts and throw them on top. They make for a delicious addition!
• Served here with Tuscan Lemon Chicken and a Deluxe Baked Potato. Might also be good with Marinated Flank Steak or Pork Tenderloin.

Serves Six.