Roasted Potato Salad

Posted on by July 18, 2024

7/10/2024 – This recipe makes a unique potato salad that is mayo free and very flavorful. It was inspired by the recipe at Southern Living here combined with Lauren Miyashiro’s Dad’s secret ingredient (pimento stuffed olives) here. Serve warm.

Ingredients

Image from Southern Living
  • 1½ lbs. baby red potatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1½ tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 6 scallions, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 4 slices cooked bacon, roughly chopped. Save the drippings.
  • 4 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil from the garden
  • ½ cup approx. chopped pimento-stuffed green olives

Directions

  1. Prepare oven and baking sheet: Heat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Roast potatoes: In a medium bowl, toss together the potatoes and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Evenly spread the potatoes out on the prepared sheet. [Try using the bacon drippings.]
  3. Bake 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Turn and continue to bake until light golden and tender, about 10 minutes more. Let cool to room temperature.
  4. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with the mustard and vinegar.
  5. Combine potatoes and dressing: Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooled potatoes, scallions, celery, bacon, bacon drippings, tarragon, and parsley, and toss to coat.
  6. Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Let the salad come to room temperature before serving then warm in the microwave.

Mary’s Roasted Tomato Salsa 2024

Posted on by July 10, 2024

7/9/2024 – We again made tomato salsa with tomatoes from the garden that have been ripening on the butcher block for a week or so. This time was like the others this year with roasting in the convection oven. We did try one batch in the Recteq smoker that is posted here. All of them were made with a blend of tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, etc. as listed below. They all turned out great and this recipe should be used again and improved. We collected the flavorful liquid left in the sheet pan and made soup that was also frozen.

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Smoked-Tomato Salsa on the Recteq

Posted on by June 29, 2024

6/27/2024 – This was the second prep. What was done in the first is shown below on 6/23/2024. This prep also turned out well and the quantities are identified a bit better. The tomatoes used were fully ripe and hence the salsa turned out a bit sweet. The jalapenos did not provide any noticeable heat.

Ingredients per Half Baking Sheet

  • half-baking sheet of tomatoes cut into 1.5-inch chunks
  • 2 large jalapeño peppers quartered, seeded, and laid on top of the tomatoes
  • 1.5 medium-sized red onions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • kosher salt to taste

Directions

  1. Preheated Recteq to 220°F. Smoked tomatoes and jalapeños in a baking sheet until somewhat collapsing, about 1 hour. Turned up the temp to 350°F for about 30 minutes.
  2. While smoking, place onion, cilantro, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until chopped but not fine. Transfer to a medium bowl.
  3. Place tomatoes, jalapeños, lemon juice, and salt in the food processor; process until slightly chunky. Transfer to bowl with onion mixture; stir to combine.

6/23/2024 – This was good and was inspired by the recipe here.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs. plum tomatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
  • 2 jalapeño peppers
  • 1 medium-sized red onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

  1. Preheated Recteq to 225°F. Smoke tomatoes and jalapeños, in a baking sheet until somewhat collapsing, about 1 hour. Turned up the temp to 300°F for about 30 minutes.*
  2. While smoking, placed onion, cilantro, oregano, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl.
  3. Place tomatoes, jalapeños, lime juice, and salt in food processor; process until slightly chunky. Transfer to bowl with onion mixture; stir to combine. Cover; chill at least 45 minutes before serving.

Next time:

  • * After an hour, raise the temp to 350 to roast the tomatoes and peppers.
  • Try mixing in corn, ripe avocado, black beans, (smoked) bell peppers, and more.

Fresh Tomato Soup

Posted on by June 25, 2024

6/24/2025 – This made a great soup with tomatoes from the garden inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe here. Mary made a double batch to give to friends who do not like “spicy” foods.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Croutons, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste,basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat,and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.
  4. Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that’s left.
  5. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

Tuna Noodle Casserole ToTry

Posted on by June 21, 2024

From Southern Living here. Skip the canned soup and make a fresher version of classic tuna noodle casserole. By Jessica Harlan | Updated on May 5, 2024
6/21/24, 9:28 AM southernliving.com/tuna-noodle-casserole-7113556

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 8 oz. wide egg noodles
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 (5 oz. each) cans chunk light tuna, drained
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 16 butter crackers, such as Ritz (about half a sleeve)
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish; set aside.
  2. Cook the egg noodles to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. When it foams, add the onion and cook
  4. until softened, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has a nutty smell. Slowly whisk the milk in, a little at a time, to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.
  6. Stir the Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper into the milk mixture. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and stir until the cheese is melted. Stir in the tuna and frozen peas, then add the cooked noodles, stirring to make sure the noodles are completely coated with the sauce.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 15 minutes.
  8. While the casserole is cooking, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave. In a medium bowl, crush the crackers with a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and the garlic powder to the crushed crackers. Drizzle the mixture with the melted butter and toss to coat.
  9. Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle with the cracker mixture, then bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the topping is browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Posted on by June 25, 2024

 6/21/2024 – Recipe below turned out good made with chips. Inspired by the one at Southern Living Test Kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 (10-oz.) can Rotel diced tomato and green chiles
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 pinches garlic powder
  • 2 pinches ground black pepper
  • 12 corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces or restaurant-style unflavored chips
  • 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté bell pepper and onion 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and the next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.
  2. Layer one-third of the corn tortillas in the bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of the chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Greek Potato Salad

Posted on by June 13, 2024

6/13/2024 – This was the second time Mary made this great salad that was inspired by the recipe here. Mary says it is the best potato salad she has ever had.

Ingredients

For the Potato Salad:

  • 3 pounds small yellow potatoes, scrubbed
  • 1 tablespoon salt. [This time put in 2 heaping spoonfuls with the little wooden spoon on the kosher salt container. The final prep was salty enough.]
  • ½ cup chopped red onions or shallots
  • 3 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • ½ cup chopped Italian parsley leaves – Left out as did not have on hand.
  • ½ cup chopped dill or one 0.75 oz. container of dill from Publix with stems removed
  • ½ cup Kalamata olives, halved

For the Vinaigrette:

  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Next time try at least double.
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the (unpeeled) potatoes and one tablespoon of salt. Reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer. Simmer the potatoes until they are fork-tender when poked, about 15-20 minutes (the time will depend on their size). If the potatoes vary in size, remove in batches, starting with the smallest, until they are all cooked through.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while still whisking, until all ingredients are well combined.
  3. Gently drain the cooked potatoes and set aside until just cool enough to handle.
  4. Cut the potatoes into 1 to 1½-inch cubes, and place them in a large bowl.
  5. Add the red and green onions, parsley, dill, and olives. Whisk the vinaigrette one more time, then pour it over the potatoes. Gently toss to combine. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  6. Serve while still slightly warm or at room temperature.

Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles***

Posted on by December 5, 2024

6/5/2019 – The recipe below was inspired by the “Easy Sweet and Spicy Bread and Butter Pickles” recipe at PinchAndSwirl.com. We liked it a lot and will make it again.

6/12/2024 – Made this recipe and found the pickles to be GREAT on 7/17/2024. Six months later on 12/5/2024 we opened a quart and found the pickles to still be GREAT.

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Squash Casserole to Freeze

Posted on by September 5, 2024

6/11/2024 – We have been giving away yellow squash but it still has accumulated and must be used. Mary found on Southern Living’s website an Easy Squash Casserole. We had 4.5 lbs. of squash so we added 50% to all the quantities below. This dished was thawed and heated normally. It was very good.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. yellow squash from the garden, sliced
  • 5 Tbsp. butter, divided
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. sugar – Original recipe calls for 2 tsp.
  • 1 tsp. salt. Used kosher so should have used 2 tsp.
  • For topping some day when thawed – round buttery crackers, crushed

Directions

  1. Cook squash in boiling water until slightly tender–not limp.
  2. Drain well and spread on baking sheets to let steam and dry out some. [The original recipe cautions against excess moisture in the final dish and calls for drying the individual pieces. They steamed off enough moisture IMHO.]
  3. Melt butter in the enameled cast iron stock pot over medium-high heat; add onion, and sauté until translucent.
  4. Remove pot from heat; stir in squash, cheese, and next 4 ingredients.
  5. Put into containers with tight lids to freeze.
  6. Some Day
    • Thaw
    • Make cracker topping
    • Stir together melted butter and crushed crackers; sprinkle evenly over top of casserole.
    • Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until set.

The 4.5 lbs made only 4 small casserole dishes that were 4×4 inches to 6×6 inches in size.

Creole Marinara with Roasted Vegetables

Posted on by September 5, 2024

6/11/2024 – This is an experiment of roasting the veggies, including the tomatoes, rather than the usual boiling water to remove skins, sauteing veggies, and a long simmer. The roasted veggies in the Italian Marinera turned out great and the process is much easier than boiling, peeling, sauteing, etc. This experiment turned out great. The four half-sheets of mix yielded 6 quarts of rich, flavorful, chunky marinara sauce.

We will also have the drippings/juice to make our new tomato basil soup. After Mary added fresh tomatoes, onion, and diced carrots she had 1.5 quarts of fantastic soup.

Ingredients per half-sheet pan:

  • 1 Bell Pepper
  • 1 ~3-inch diameter onion
  • 3 stalks of celery
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • Tomatoes from our garden to fill the sheet as in the photos
  • EV Olive Oil
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 heaping Tbsp Kit’s creole seasoning

The Process

  1. Trim the tomatoes of interior and exterior blemishes and ugly spots. Did not peal.
  2. chop the celery into 2 to 3-inch sticks
  3. cut the onion into quarters, operating each into multi-layer pieces
  4. chop the bell peppers into 1-inch slices then cut them in half
  5. cut the garlic cloves in half
  6. drizzle on the EVOO
  7. shake on black pepper and salt like putting it on a steak to grill
  8. shake on the creole seasoning using a spoon from the quart “stockpile” jar
  9. using your hands mix and turn until the oil is coating all the pieces and the spices are evenly mixed
  10. rotate tomatoes to skin-side up as much as possible
  11. put into the preheated oven set to roast
  12. roast until there are some black charred tips; about 30 minutes
  13. ladle with a slotted spoon into the food processor
  14. chop in the food processor to a rough chunky consistency
  15. fill plastic freezer containers and tighten the lid
  16. When cooled to room temperature put into the freezer.

Note – We saved the “juice” from the tomatoes and other veggies to make a tomato soup that great. We got 1.5 qt. from these four sheet pans.