Jacques Pépin’s Potato Salad with Fresh Herbs

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While scrolling through Facebook the other day, I ran across a couple of videos from that French, culinary charmer, and award-winning chef, Jacques Pépin. I think I have been a little bit in love with this guy all of my life. He was making a very simple potato salad that looked so refreshingly good. By the time I had finished his short video, I was in the kitchen boiling potatoes and chopping herbs. I added dill to mine, and changed up his dressing a bit by adding a hint of sugar, and a splash of vinegar. I thought this was very good -- easy, fresh, and so delightfully French. It’s best when served warm; I found it a delightful and surprisingly good accompaniment to morning eggs. Mix things up a bit! Have fun, and keep cooking. It will keep you sane.

Jacques Pépin’s Potato Salad with Fresh Herbs

  Slightly adapted from the original.

Dressing
2 T. mayonnaise
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. water
¼ c. olive oil
1 t. sugar
½ T. cider vinegar

Copious amounts of salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place all ingredients into a jar, screw on the lid, and shake for all you’re worth.

Potatoes
2 large red skinned potatoes (1 lb.)
3 scallions, chopped
½ c. chopped fresh parsley
½ c. chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper

Boil potatoes, skins on, for 30 to 40 minutes until they are fork tender. Drain potatoes, and, when they are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into cubes. Put potatoes into a large bowl along with the scallions and fresh herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour half of the dressing overall, and stir gently to combine. Serve warm.

Olive and Parsley Tapenade

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Because I am an avid fancier of olives, all kinds, I tend to love tapenade. As a consequence, I always keep a wide variety of olives on hand. This recipe was inspired by one that I found in Sweet Paul magazine. As with most tapenades, you can add or subtract the ingredients according to your tastes. I found this worked perfectly, and I just eyeballed rather than measured anything.

Olive and Parsley Tapenade

Inspired by Sweet Paul 

1 9.5 oz. jar pitted Kalamata olives

1 bunch fresh Italian parsley

3 Melissa’s organic garlic cloves

½ T. capers, drained
½ T. Dijon mustard
2 - 3 T. olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

While this is most easily made by throwing all of the ingredients into a food processor, and pulsing until you achieve the desired consistency, I found a lot of satisfaction in chopping everything up together on a large cutting board. If you feel the same, using a sharp chef’s knife, chop olives, garlic, parsley, garlic, and capers all together until a chunky mixture is formed.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together chopped olive mixture with mustard and half the oil. Adjust the oil until you reach a consistency you like.

Season with pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Makes 2 cups.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Tarragon Chicken

You know me and cooking magazines -- I'm crazy about them!  So I had to try something from the new Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine that appeared in my mailbox on Wednesday.  

The word "Crockpot" leapt at me from the cover, most probably because it was 104 degrees at the time and a Crockpot seemed the only way to go.  As it turned out, it was.  I don't think I've ever had a tastier, more tender chicken than the one in this recipe.  Making the sauce outside of the Crockpot ensured a dish far more elegant that what is usually, umm, "crocked," and doing a bit of advanced prep (gathering, cleaning, and chopping herbs, zesting and juicing a lemon), made this a very easy meal.  There's a lot more to love in this issue, and I'll let you know as I test each recipe, but trust me on this one, it is, as Rachael would say, "Yum-o!"

This post is linked to:
Simply Delish Saturday
Savory Sunday

For a subscription to Everyday with Rachael Ray, click the image below:

HERBED MUSHROOM CUSTARDS FOR TWO

On a chilly night (Spring, where are you?!) I love something creamy and delicious to warm me from the inside out. I recently came across a mushroom custard recipe that sounded like it just might fill the bill for a winter evening, but it served 8.  I reduced the amounts, added some ingredients, and we had it as a side dish for dinner. Delicious!  It's also incredibly easy and can be made ahead making it the perfect "wow" recipe for a dinner party in addition to a special side dish for a romantic dinner for two.  Don't tell anyone how easy this is!

Herbed Mushroom Custards for Two

1 T. butter

1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as

 button, crimini and shitake, trimmed and sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 large egg

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/4 tsp. instant minced onion

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms begin to brown; cool slightly. In medium bowl, whisk together cream, egg, parsley, pinch salt and a few twists of freshly ground pepper. Stir in mushrooms, and divide between two 6 oz. ramekins. Line a 9" x 9" square pan with a dish towel; place ramekins on towel. Transfer to oven and pour enough boiling water in pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set, about 30 minutes. Carefully remove ramekins from water.