Barefoot Potato Salad

This is my take on one of the Barefoot Contessa's (Ina Garten) recipes for potato salad.  It's based on her recipe but I've modified it for our family's taste.  I  hope you enjoy!  For sure you can be barefoot while making it... especially on a hot, humid Southern July day!

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 pounds small white potatoes, peeled
• Sea  salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• ½ cup sweet salad  pickle cubes

Directions

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, & Dijon mustard.  Set aside.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and pickle cubes, & salt and pepper to taste. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Southern Summer Supper Menu

What could be better than farm fresh produce?  I love summer because our local farmer's market has an ample supply of vegetables and fruits.  First thing this morning, we headed to our local farm market & returned home with a back seat full of fresh fruits & veggies:  blackberries, blueberries, peaches, melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, butter beans, corn, summer squash, and okra.  Of course this calls for a southern summer supper, in the style of my mama and grandmother!  What's on the menu?  Here it is:

BBQ country style ribs
Chili pepper blue cornbread
Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers
Summer squash casserole with bread crumb topping
Fried okra & potatoes
Succotash (butter beans & corns, maybe with some tomatoes thrown in!)
Green beans topped with new potatoes
Peach Blueberry Cobbler with whipped cream

After washing everything and chopping what needs to be chopped or sliced or diced, supper is on the stove, in the oven, and in the slow cooker!  And it smells divine!

Recipes coming up next!

Marinated Shrimp and Artichoke Appetizer

  (Adapted from a Southern Living recipe)

This could also be served as a light dinner entree.

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (0.75-oz.) envelope Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
• 1 pound peeled and deveined, large cooked shrimp (21/30 count)
• 1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
• 1 (6-oz.) can large black olives, drained
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1 (4-oz.) package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Small fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Whisk together balsamic vinegar and next 3ingredients in a bowl. Stir in shrimp and next 4 ingredients. Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.
2. Stir in desired amount of basil just before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon.

This can easily be doubled to serve more!

Quick Peach or Blueberry Cobbler

This was a favorite recipe that my Mom made often in the summer months when fresh peaches and blueberries are available.  You can even use a combination of peaches & blueberries!  Top if off with a little whipped cream or ice cream and it's divine.

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar ( I use 1/2 cup of Splenda baking blend)

¾ cup milk

2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

sprinkle of cinnamon

In 10 x 10 pyrex or aluminum pan, melt 1 stick margarine or butter. Mix other ingredients together and pour over melted butter.  Do not stir.  To 3 cups fruit, add ¾ cup sugar (I use 1/2 cup Splenda baking blend).  Spoon fruit over batter.  Do not stir.  Bake about 40 minutes at 325 in pyrex or 350 in aluminum pan or until brown.  When done, fruit will be on bottom.

Frogmore Stew or Low Country Boil

As you know, I’m a Southern girl, born & bred and though I’ve traveled a lot, I’ve never lived outside of the South.  Here’s a brief history of Frogmore Stew, aka Beaufort Stew (pronounced Bu-fort) or Lowcountry Boil.  It’s been a part of family & friends tradition for my entire life and it just seems to be the perfect thing for a Memorial Weekend get-together!

OK, relax a bit… really there are NO frogs in Frogmore Stew!  Come casual because this dish is usually served on a newspaper covered picnic table and eaten with your hands (rest assured that plenty of hand wipes and paper towels will be available!).   Frogmore stew is a down  home, stick to your ribs, event that brings friends & family together.  You can make it for 4 or 400!

It actually originates from a small fishing community near Beaufort, SC named Frogmore and though the town no longer exists, the stew carries on the great tradition started there!
Legend has it a shrimper in Frogmore was running low on food and couldn’t decide what to cook for dinner. He chose to boil up some potatoes, sausage, and corn together and added some shrimp since there was never a short supply of shrimp around his home. He soon realized how great the items complemented each other and the recipe was passed around to some local seafood restaurants. From then on Frogmore Stew has become a family tradition in many homes on the Carolina coast and it can be found at many restaurants along the coast as well.

Here's our family's recipe:

You will need a large steamer pot or stock pot.  I like the steamer pot because it's easier to drain.
 

New potatoes (4 per person)

Kielbasa sausage (1/4 lb per person)

Corn on cob (1-2 half ears per person)

Unpeeled, uncooked, headless shrimp (1/3 lb per person)

Shrimp or seafood seasoning (Old Bay or such) (I use this liberally!)

Boil potatoes (in plenty of water to cover) 20 minutes.  I generally add one bottle of beer to the water, but that's truly optional.  Add Old Bay seasoning to taste.  Cut sausage in 3-inch sections; add to potatoes and cook 10 more minutes.  Add corn and cook 7 minutes, then add shrimp.  Boil 3 more minutes (until shrimp turns pink) and drain well.

Drain and "dump" into large serving bowl.  Serve with cocktail sauce, butter, tabasco, etc.  Great served with crusty bread and sweet southern cole slaw.

Roasted Potatoes with Spinach

This side dish is quick and easy and I just love the addition of spinach! You can easily double or triple the recipe to serve more people.

  Serves 2

Ingredients:

6 small red potatoes, quartered 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped sea salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 cup fresh spinach leaves

Directions:

	Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
	Place the potatoes in a single layer in a ceramic casserole dish.  Mix together the olive oil, garlic and rosemary and pour over the potatoes in the dish.  Stir to make sure all are coated.  Season with sea salt and pepper.
	Roast uncovered for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from the oven, and toss with the spinach leaves. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Finish with a good shredded hard cheese like Parmesan or Pecorino.

Grilled Meatloaf

A couple of weeks ago while shopping in Williams Sonoma, I discovered a steel grill meatloaf pan and purchased it promptly.  Ken loves meatloaf and the thought of grilling it was not to be resisted!  We tried it out last night and it worked great.  Here's my recipe:

Spray the pan with Pam or grease it with a bit of olive oil.
Heat your grill to about 350 degrees.

1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, diced (optional)
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
salt & pepper to taste

Glaze: Top the meat loaf with glaze after about 30 minutes of cooking time.
Mix together
1/4 cup ketchup 
1 TBSP brown sugar 
1 tsp dry mustard


Mix together everything except the glaze ingredients.  Place the meatloaf mixture into the pan, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top. 

Place the meatloaf pan on a grill safe drip pan and you're ready to start grilling!  Cook with the grill closed over indirect heat about an hour or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat loaf registers 165 degrees. Remove from heat and let rest in the pan for about 5 minutes.