German Potato Salad

Ingredients

3 lbs. potatoes

4 strips bacon

one large yellow onion

Handful of parsley

(for the dressing)

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

2 tbsp water

Directions:

Peel potatoes and dice into one-inch pieces. Put in large pot and cover with water. (can sit until you are ready to cook). Check frequently to make sure it does not overcook.

Dice onion finely.  

Chop parsley.

Combine dressing ingredients and whisk. Taste, adjust for sweetness/vinegar balance

Airfry bacon. In my Breville, this means 450 degrees. Put the bacon on the tray and let it microwave while the oven preheats for three minutes, then cook for ten more. Turn it at 5, check it periodically.

Remove bacon, dry on paper towel. Transfer bacon grease to a cast iron skillet and heat skillet. Add onions and SOFTEN, don't let them brown too much. 

Chop bacon. Split into two portions.

Once onions are soft and starting to brown, add DRESSING. Let it come to a boil. Once boiling, add potatoes and one portion of bacon. Using a wooden spoon, carefully turn to coat. Let some liquid burn off as it coats, add salt periodically, correcting as you taste.

Once ready, add one-half (a little more) parsley and mix. Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with parsley and remaining bacon. 

Then fucking enjoy.

chickpea salad

I am currently rehydrating chickpeas. I covered them with 1 1/2 inches water in a bowl this morning and will let them soak for 12 hours before simmering them for 1-2 hours tonight. The goal here is to develop a simple chickpea salad I can make up weekly and take out for lunches, or sides for dinners, etc.

There is a simple recipe at bon appetit which will form a base for making salads. It gives me something to do with my fresh herbs all year round, which is important given that I harbor guilty feelings about wasted herbs. I am currently overproducing cilantro and parsley, both of which would be brilliant in these kinds of salads. (This presumes my parsley survived the recent frosts.)

I will continue to update this post through the first salad.

UPDATE.

I simmered the soaked beans for 1 hour. This produced a nice texture for the beans. Soft, but with enough substance to retain their character. I then pressed two large garlic cloves into 2 tablespoons of oil and let the mixture sit for one hour. Then I squeezed in the juice of two lemons and added 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley.

UPDATE.

The beans will require more simmering. When cold, they proved a little too crunchy. Also, the salad tastes its best on the third day, when all the flavors meld together.

spinach sauteed with garlic

I took this recipe from the food network:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Lemon
• Sea or kosher salt, optional

Directions

Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.

In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt. Serve hot.

NOTES: I am not sure how much spinach I had, but it was an organic bunch I picked up from the DeKalb Farmer's Market. Certainly felt like more than a pound and a half. The garlic overpowered the dish, so I will cut it to four cloves in the future. Also, I forgot the squeeze of lemon--alas! a little acid would have a genteel touch on what is otherwise a simple way to prepare spinach.