Foodie Friday



Welcome to Foodie Friday.

Are your Thanksgiving preparations underway? Will you be cooking at home, cooking with a group, or eating out? Are you trying a new recipe?

 

This week I'm bringing two potato recipes. The first, Simple Rustic Potato soup, is quick and filling, the perfect "one pot meal" for the busy days ahead. The hardest part is microwaving three bags of frozen russet potatoes, and that's not difficult, so you can just imagine the ease of this recipe.

 

 

Simple Rustic Potato Soup

Printable Recipe

                                             Serves 8

Ingredients

3 24 oz packages Ore-Ida Steam n Mash Cut Russet Potatoes

1 32-oz box College Inn Chicken Broth

1 or 2 14-oz cans College Inn Chicken Broth

8 strips bacon

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chopped white (or yellow) onion

3/4 cup chopped celery

1 c. shredded mild cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Cook 1 24-oz package Ore-Ida potatoes in microwave according to directions (ten minutes) and set aside. In a large, non-stick Dutch oven, fry 8 slices of bacon (medium high flame). Crumble bacon and set aside. Add chopped onions and celery to pot and sautee until clear and tender. Add 1 32-oz box chicken broth and cook 10 minutes over medium low flame, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, continue to microwave two remaining packages of frozen potatoes.  Add all three packages of potatoes to Dutch oven. Mash potatoes with a large whisk or metal masher. [I like a rough, "rustic" texture. If you prefer smooth, skip this step and place the cooked potatoes into a Cuisinart or blender, then add to Dutch oven.]

 

Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Cook another 10 minutes. At this point, the soup is thick, and I always add one 14-oz can of chicken stock (if you like a thinner soup, add a second can of stock). Stir. Lower the flame and simmer soup for five minutes. Slowly add 1 cup cream and blend thoroughly. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Cover pot and remove from flame.

 

Pour soup into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese.

The second recipe is Warm Potato Salad.

It's sassy and comforting, perfect with leftover turkey sandwiches.

Side dishes have always fascinated me.

I come from a long line of Southern women who believe that side dishes are a blend of nutrition and art. My mother will never serve corn and fried apples at the same meal, unless she balances the yellows with green beans or asparagus. She plays matchmaker with "sides," as she calls them, aiming for complimentary companions.

Entrees are easy, but I worry and worry about side dishes. I've been known to fall into a broccoli rut. My mother always tries to repeat flavors. If she marinates a chicken with lime juice, she will serve a key lime pie for dessert.  A Granny Smith smothered pork roast will be paired with an apple raisin salad or apple tarts. And so on and so forth. A warm potato salad with a bacon vinaigrette is the perfect accompaniment for roasted chicken.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Potatoes: A Country Garden Cookbook.

Warm Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

Serves 4 4 potatoes, cut into 1/8" slices 2 cups chicken broth 4-6 strips of bacon, fried and crumbled 1/4 cup green onions, chopped 2 Tablespoons bacon drippings 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 Tablespoons champagne vinegar 2 Tablespoons country style Dijon mustard sea salt to taste freshly ground pepper to taste fresh thyme and Italian parsley roasted red bell pepper (optional) Fry bacon and onions. Set aside and reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings. Slice potatoes (unpeeled for a rustic salad) and place in a saucepan. Add 2 cups chicken broth. Cook potatoes 15 minutes over a low flame. Drain potatoes and place in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup chicken broth. Into a clean bowl, add broth, olive oil, mustard, vinegar, and bacon drippings. Whisk and pour vinaigrette over potatoes. Sprinkle with bacon and chopped herbs. Cover potatoes (I use a large dinner plate) and steep 15 minutes. Remove plate (or lid) and stir potatoes carefully, making sure you distribute the vinaigrette. For perky color, add a sliced roasted red bell pepper.   If you are participating in Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only. For a complete guide to this linky party, click HERE.     ** Would you like to add your recipes to the "Consuming Passions" group board at Pinterest? It can be found HERE.  Foodie Friday folks and pinners are always welcome to "pin" with us and chat about food. Just leave a comment on one of my recent "pins," so I'll be sure to see it, and I will send you an invitation. Or you can email me.  Thanks for stopping by the party. Have a great weekend.   

The Secrets of Pistoulet

 Welcome to Pistoulet, a farmhouse in the southwest region of France.

 However, this farm is much more than a place.

 

The Secrets of Pistoulet is the first in a series of charming books by Jana Kolpen and designed by Mary Tiegreen. This little gem captured the imaginations of the Novel Bakers, a small group of friends, readers and cooks:  a quiet life, Home Is Where the Boat Is, Once Upon a Plate, and Rattlebridge Farm. 

We've devoted the week to explore and cook our way through these novels . . .

Let's begin with Pistoulet. 

 

Some people refer to the farm as "the Place of Secrets."

 



Pistoulet is a healing place for world-weary hearts.

 

"Hidden from most everything, Pistoulet is an unknown paradise....Everyone

who passes through the farm has a story which unfolds. All who

spend time at Pistoulet leave with their hearts and minds transformed.

 

Some never leave."

 

 

The story begins with Mademoiselle J.

When she arrives at the farm, she is greeted by Marcel, a huge

lovable dog.

 

But not even Marcel can lift Mademoiselle J.'s spirits.

 

  "She was feeling withered and wounded, and without a smile."

 

Mademoiselle soon discovers that Pistoulet is a magical place where frogs sing in the trees and a chicken lays golden eggs.

 

Even the snails "blend into the scenery until they decide to appear."

 

 

Each day Mademoiselle J. rides a bicycle to the market, picking through the ripe eggplants and tomatoes. Before returning home, she dashes into the cheese shop for a wedge of Brebis.

 

"Some might say her passion for cooking is a bit extreme." 

 

She has come to the right place, because her hosts, Madame Claude and Monsieur Andre,

are intuitive cooks. They can look all the way into the backs of Mademoiselle J.'s eyes and see that she is at the end of her emotional tether. The hosts know exactly how to nourish her soul, but they need special herbs--these are kept in a special blue box.

 

It has a star engraved on the lid.

 

 

When the sun climbs into the highest place in the sky, the hosts set a table in the garden,

adding cheerful pottery and a sunflower bouquet.

 

 

 

 

Menus are created with great care, and each one is tailored to the guest.

 

 

Madame Claude's cheese platters are unique (as is the Madame herself).

 

They calm wild, tangled thoughts and induce happiness. 

 

 

Potage of Passion is a specialty at Pistoulet, and it must be "served with discretion," as it has been known to induce hot flashes, a galloping pulse rate, and a rush of emotions.

 

It can even cause a guest to "fall in love with the cook!"

 

"Passionate choices have potent consequences."

-- a comment on Pistoulet's recipe card.

 

 

 

This potage is best served with garlicky, herbal "Celestial Croutons."

 

It's traditional at Pistoulet to cut the croutons into half-moon and star shapes.

 

 

One guest, known as the "Odd, Artful Gentleman," proposes to Mademoiselle J. after eating this soup.

 

(She gently refuses.)

 

 

The Potage of Babble is another Pistoulet favorite.

 

 This soup is made from the freshest leeks and potatoes, with pinches of basil and garlic.

 

It has an unsettling side-effect--whoever consumes the soup might become loquacious.

 

In fact, the recipe comes with a warning:

"When you speak, be sure to speak the truth."

 

 

Homemade bread and rosemary butter are farmhouse favorites,

enjoyed by all of the guests.

 

 

 

Dessert is a special event.

 

The Tourte of Friendship is made with farm eggs, butter and almonds.

 

It reminded me of a soft biscotti, with a dense rich crust, a melty center, and just-right sweetness.

Serve with rich, thick whipped cream.

 

Pistoulet has a remedy for whatever ails you.

However, the cures aren't traditional.

 

The "Charm for Prosperity" might not fill your coffers, but you soul will be enriched.

It's wise to remember that "prosperity comes in many forms."

 

-- Note on the recipe card, Pistoulet.

 



When Mademoiselle J. left Pistoulet,

her heart ran over with peace and happiness.

 

She couldn't stop smiling.

 

And she was ready for a new adventure.

 

The Secrets of Pistoulet touches on themes of hope, transformation, and hidden joys.

Secret joys are everywhere if you know how to really look at the world.

 

If life is a series of journeys, then don't be afraid to take a detour.

 

And don't be afraid to take a healing break from the mad dash of daily living.

 

 

It's never too late to find joy.

 

 

 



 

Resources:

 

The Secrets of Pistoulet 

 

Jana Kolpen's Studio

 

Pistoulet Tableware

 

 

My visit to France has come to an end,

but a dazzling array of adventures await you with the Novel Bakers. 

 

 I can't wait to see what Jain, Mary, and Mari have created.

 

Won't you come with me?

a quiet life,

Home Is Where the Boat Is,

and Once Upon a Plate.

 

The Novel Bakers will return on Wednesday, June 26th, with a visit to Villa Della Luna in Italy,

then we will move to Ireland on Friday, June 28th.

 

See you there!

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