Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad 

I know, it sounds so weird…but really, intriguing. Right? I thought so…and especially terrific in the winter when the pink grapefruit are at their prime. I'm releasing this recipe right around Thanksgiving and just know you are feeling oh so tummy happy but a bit guilty too.  This should keep the tum so happy but really lessen the guilt. It is so very simple and clean - wonderful palate cleanser between courses. The hardest part is releasing the grapefruit segments. For that, there is Larue to the rescue with instructions and pictures!

The stars of the show! Unlikely pairing, but very tasty.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Caviar & Crème Fraiche

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Caviar & Crème Fraiche 

Serves 8-10

Difficulty: Easy

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Caviar & Crème Fraiche 

Presentation of Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Caviar & Crème Fraiche  

This is a great appetizer or a side dish. It is really a go-to dish for most any occasion.  Easy to make, even easier to eat – and always to rave reviews. Fingerling potatoes are small, stubby, slightly knobby, finger-shaped type of potato which may be any heritage potato cultivars. They grow naturally small and narrow. Some people confuse this family with new potatoes, which are young potatoes harvested before they fully mature. Just as is the case with regular potatoes, fingerling farmers (love that name!) allow the green upper portion of the plant to die back before harvesting the tubers. When selecting fingerlings in the store, shoppers should look for specimens without obvious soft spots or mold. The unusual looking, flavorful potatoes can be used just like regular potatoes in an assortment of roasted, broiled, baked, grilled, or boiled dishes. They have a nutty, buttery, earthy taste. If you have not had them before, you are in for a treat!

Fingerling potatoes

Roasted Fennel with Olives & Garlic

Roasted Fennel with Olives & Garlic

Serves: 8

Difficulty: Easy

 

Roasted Fennel with Olives & Garlic

Like so many vegetables, fennel is another that only improves with roasting. This recipe takes almost no time to prepare; yet the overall effect is complex. I have made this about a half dozen times. Preparation is minimal and the results are incredible. Elegant enough for a dinner party but perfect anytime. It is a perfect Thanksgiving side dish. The flavors are superb. Even better the next day......if you are lucky enough to have any left over. Fennel's unique aromatic taste is reminiscent of licorice and anise, especially in the raw state. However, roasting the fennel totally changes the taste, nothing at all like licorice. Once cooked, it becomes very sweet….surprisingly so.

Fresh fennel

Persian Green Herb, Chicken & Bean Stew (Ghormeh Sabzi)

Persian Green Herb, Chicken & Bean Stew (Ghormeh Sabzi)

Includes Vegetarian options

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

Persian Green Herb, Chicken & Bean Stew (Ghormeh Sabzi) 

This green stew studded with beans is one of the most famous in Persian cuisine. It can be made with chicken, lamb, beef or works surprisingly well with tofu which is frozen, thawed and baked to give it a meaty texture. The bulk of the stew is, indeed, chopped parsley, cilantro, spinach and scallions, and the mixture is delicious. The grassy greens cook down and mellow, turning into a fragrant, earthy mélange served alone or atop fluffy rice or stuffed into a pita. It might not be your first inclination to cook down a huge pile of chopped herbs, but the gentle slow heat works magic on the greenery transforming them into flavorful spoonful with each bite. I used Rancho Gordo red beans once again – making them from their dried form. However one could use canned, rinsed kidney or red beans if time does not allow use of heritage beans. Once again, we can use our dried limes for the citrusy boost often found in Persian cooking. If you cannot find dried limes, you can add several strips of lime zest to the stew.