PURPLE POTATO SALAD

I just made this recipe for the first time last week and it was a hit. It's not your everyday potato salad, but it's pretty delicious. The key to the extra flavor is leaving the skin on and roasting your potatoes in the oven vs. boiling or steaming them.

I diced up some purple potatoes, threw them in a glass baking dish, splashed on some EVOO, a dash of garlic salt and coarse ground pepper, bake at 375 for 45 minutes to an hour and then let cool until the potatoes are just warm. Dice up about half of a large sweet onion and then add defrosted frozen green peas and mayonnaise to taste. Combine together and grind out a bit of sea salt and more pepper and then you're done!

Ingredients

5-6 medium purple potatoes, diced and roasted

1 1/2 cups peas

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

4 tablespoons mayonnaise (or to taste)

coarse ground salt and pepper

Let me know what you think if you decide to try this!

Bon Apetite!!

GREEK SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES AND FETA

This is a wonderful dish my Mother makes that has become a staple favorite of mine.

She got the recipe from Williams-Sonoma and it is unbelievably delicious! This is a photo I took of it served over rice.

Ingredients:

4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry white vermouth or wine

6 plum tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved,

or 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) tomatoes, drained and

finely chopped, juices reserved

1 Tbs. dried Greek oregano, crumbled, or 2 Tbs.

minced fresh oregano

Sea salt, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Sweet Hungarian paprika, to taste

2/3 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese,

preferably Greek or Bulgarian

2 lb. large shrimp, peeled, with tail

segments intact, and deveined

2 Tbs. minced fresh mint, plus mint sprigs for

garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a large, nonreactive, flameproof casserole or sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and tomatoes (but not their juices). Add the oregano now, if using dried. Season with salt, red pepper flakes and paprika. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add some of the reserved tomato juices if you prefer a thinner sauce.

Stir in the cheese, then the shrimp. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the shrimp are evenly pink and the cheese is beginning to melt, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the oregano, if using fresh, and the minced mint. Garnish with the mint sprigs and serve immediately from the pan. Serves 4.

Serving Tip: Serve with thick slices of French or Italian country-style bread for sopping up the juices.

As Julia Child used to say " Bon Appetit!"

WHEN AN ACCIDENT GIVES YOU GREEN TOMATOES......

FRY THEM UP!

When a large branch snaps off your tomato bush and the cluster of tomatoes hasn't had a chance to ripen yet, what do you do?  Fry up some green tomatoes, baby!  They were so incredibly tasty that now I may be harvesting these beauties before they get the first tinge of pink in them. Next time around, I am spreading them with some goat cheese before I coat them in cornmeal and fry them up. 

I will let you know how that goes.....

(P.S. don't let my incredible photo styling intimidate you....)

Simple how-to

Heat approx. 1/2 inch of canola oil in saucepan

Mix a half cup or so of cornmeal with a little salt and pepper

Slice a few green tomatoes

Dip tomatoes in shallow milk bath

Dredge tomatoes in corn meal until lightly coated

Gently place coated tomatoes in oil (with tongs)

Flip over after about 2 minutes until both sides are lightly browned

Remove and place on paper-towel lined plate to drain and cool a bit

Feast and enjoy!

ESCAROLE IS THE NEW CAVIAR

I am completely hooked on this stuff!  A great winter comfort food. The best part is that it's so good for you - low calorie and tastier than just about anything.  This is a photo I took of my version, made from this recipe and then topped with some goat cheese and walnuts (or almond slices, your choice).  I also add some lemon juice and substitute old bay seasoning for crushed red pepper flakes while sauteing.  

If you make it, please let me know what you think - I'd love your feedback!

LUNCH QUICK FIX

Lately I have become hooked on quinoa after a friend introduced me several months ago to the great health benefits and tasty flavor.  The terrific thing about it is that I can make a lot of it at once and it keeps in the fridge for a few days with no nasty repercussions. I actually prefer eating it cold for lunch, with a variety of ingredients, depending on what I have at the time.  Tossing in some smoked salmon, spinach, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, slivered and roasted almonds, whatever. I also like to add a little splash of apple cider vinegar and a pinch of kosher salt and I am good to go.  Makes a healthy, filling and satisfying lunch without any "eater's remorse".  Do you like quinoa? How do you eat yours'? 

MORE ROOT VEG MANIA

I am now officially on a root vegetable kick! I promise this is my last post on root veggies for a long time. Thanks to everyone who left a comment or recipe last week - you inspired me!

I tried roasting beets for the first time and all I can say is that it certainly won't be the last.

These vibrant little jewels are amazing, especially garnished with a little goat cheese. Prep is a cinch - all you do is trim the ends, wash well and throw them in a small baking dish with some olive or vegetable oil (light coating) and a little salt and pepper. Bake for about 1 hour at 350 or until beets can be cut through center with knife and no elbow grease. Truly amazing. But, the fun doesn't stop there.......

After trimming off the beet greens, I washed them thoroughly and then chopped them roughly, adding them to a little vegetable oil and garlic I had going over medium heat in a pan when the beets had approx. 10 minutes left to cook. 

Add some kosher salt or sea salt flakes and some freshly ground pepper while gently flipping in the pan and you've got a treat that is definitely addictive! I decided to go with a little sprinkling of goat cheese with the greens as well - yum. Would you try these? 

RAVISHING RADISHES

I have to share my latest passion with you, my faithful readers!

Are you ready?  It's radishes.  Yeah, I know radishes are not something most people get excited about. But, they are a great source of potassium, only 2 calories a piece and have been known to lower blood pressure. Not to mention, their skin is a very attractive color. As you've probably gathered by now, I am a foodie and therefore enjoy sampling new foods and new things with old foods.  Radishes raw make an excellent snack, but I had never tried them COOKED before. Oh my goodness, they are delicious!  All I did was heat a bit of oil (either light olive oil or canola works best) in a saute pan, trim the ends and chop the radishes in quarters lengthwise. Then sprinkle generously with Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper. Saute' for a couple of minutes and then add a little balsamic glaze until browned (about 6 minutes).  Unbelievable! I am on a root vegetable kick, so we'll see what else I can experiment with....any good tips for me?

ENGLISH BERRY TRIFLE

Acrylic on gessoboard (6x6)

This was the second painting in my series of desserts! It's an English Trifle, a traditional and delicious British dessert that's been in existence for over 3 centuries and is especially great to serve when you entertain, and a great addition to your holiday tableau. For my fellow blogger Suzie, (who is living in Beijing, China but restoring a home in Calabria, Italy) I have included the recipe! Hope all of you have a wonderful and festive weekend!

English Trifle (c.1997, M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger, all rights reserved)

1 (10 3/4ounce) frozen pound cake

1/3 cup sweet Sherry
1/2 cup raspberry jam

3 cups mixed berries (sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)

2 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut into chunks

2 peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks

Custard:

8 egg yolks

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups whole milk

1/2 pint whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

strawberries, for garnish

Cut pound cake in half lengthwise and trim halves to cover bottom of glass trifle dish, or a 9 inch straightsided glass bowl. Sprinkle cake with Sherry to soak, and spread cake with jam, heating jam if necessary to facilitate spreading. Place berries, kiwi and peaches on top of cake.
Heat the milk in top of double boiler over mediumlow heat until film forms on it. Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla in a double boiler until it forms a ribbon. Then slowly pour the hot milk into the eggs, beating all the time. Place the mixture in a heavy saucepan and stir over low heat until the custard coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Don't let it boil. Strain it through a fine sieve. Cool the custard in a bowl set in ice water, stirring occasionally. Pour cooled custard over the fruit. Refrigerate, covered, at least 4 hours.
Whip cream to soft peaks. Beat in powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff. Spread whipped cream over the trifle and garnish with strawberries.

If anyone actually makes this, take pics and let me know and I will post them!

A SPRING STROLL AROUND ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE

St. Armand's Circle, Sarasota, FL. I don't know about you, but oftentimes I get so busy with work and life in general, that I forget to take time to enjoy the place I live and appreciate what the community has to offer. This past weekend I took a day off and spent a little time pretending to be a tourist in my own town. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed having lunch with some great friends followed by a leisurely stroll around St. Armand's Circle, an outdoor shopping area with loads of little pastel hued boutiques, restaurants and galleries set around a picturesque central landscaped park on Lido Key. For a few hours, I felt like I was on vacation and got a much-needed recharging. After that, I spent a while at the bookstore, browsing to the accompaniment of some horribly out-of-tune Bluegrass performers. They could have made even a Tennessee granny want to pluck her chin whiskers out! Sad to say, I was strangely relieved when the lead performer started whistling the larger part of a couple of tunes. Well, needless to mention, I couldn't handle that for long. I seriously think bookstores should consider banning vocals. Anyone agree? A trip to the beach at sunset topped off my day and I went to bed thinking,"I need to do this more often!" Minus the bookstore bluegrass, of course!

A view of The Met - an upscale clothing store, day spa and salon.

One of the gorgeous flowering Orchid trees indigenous to the area.

I love all the potted palms and beautiful flowering plants everywhere.

The fountain in front of The Met

One of the many statues dotted around St. Armand's Circle

Another gorgeous flowering tree, the Tabebuia, or Gold Tree. I am a big botanical/horticultural nerd (from my parents dragging me to nurseries as a kid and my grandma, Lula, a HUGE gardening buff!)

Hemingway's Hideaway - a popular local eatery in shades of tropical sherbet.

Some of the many colorful French linens at Decor de France, a charming local boutique.

I love these quilted French table linens and the lime green iron baker's rack in the background.

Decor de France sells these colorful indoor/outdoor rugs that are great for porches and lanais.

A statue of Christopher Columbus. All of these beautiful statues ringing the circle that were once donated by circus magnate and former resident, John Ringling, have just recently been restored to their former glory.

The Columbia Restaurant's adjoining gift shop that features many unique and colorful pottery pieces imported from Spain.

I think this traditional ironwork partition between the restaurant and shop is a perfect place to display some of the gorgeous Spanish ceramics.

Is this colorfully tiled window full of eye candy or what? That urn is stunning - that color combination of the blue and yellow caught my eye. The prices on the ceramics are surprisingly reasonable.

The Columbia restaurant has had an outpost in Sarasota since the late 1950's. The food is amazing and it has a truly European atmosphere, especially with the outdoor bistro style tables. I am crazy about the chairs - just like those in Paris!

I absolutely love the clever incorporation of traditional Spanish tiles everywhere!

The Columbia Restaurant is a legendary Florida establishment. The first restaurant was opened by the Casimiro Hernandez family in Tampa in 1905. Since then, they have expanded to a family of 7 restaurants throughout the state. They are known for their authentic Spanish dishes and tapas. Another signature is their "1905 Salad" and the individual loaves of their paper-wrapped crusty warm bread. I could eat nothing but these two items and come away completely satisfied! It's truly a worthwhile place to visit with not only great food and ambiance, but outstanding and friendly service as well.

This is the recipe for the "1905 Salad", their signature salad. Once you taste it, you will be craving it for days....(I am a big Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice fan, 2 of the key ingredients in the dressing) so I was thrilled to find the recipe on their website. Thank you, Columbia for generously sharing this with the public!

1905 salad

Salad Ingredients

½ head iceberg lettuce

2 ripe tomatoes, cut in eighths

½ cup Swiss cheese, cut in julienne strips

½ cup ham, cut in julienne strips (or turkey or shrimp)

¼ cup green Spanish olives, pitted

2 teaspoons grated Romano cheese

Salad Dressing Ingredients

1/8 cup white wine vinegar

½ cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation

Toss together all salad ingredients in a bowl, except Romano Cheese.

Mix garlic, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl.

Beat until smooth with a wire whisk.

Add olive oil, gradually beating to form an emulsion.

Stir in vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Add dressing to salad and toss well.

Add Romano Cheese and toss one more time. Serves 4.

(3 bottom photos courtesy of the Columbia website)