Five Feline Farm, Author at Five Feline Farm

Hooray for Gourmet Potatoes!

This is the first week of our Gert’s Garden 2 Go© delivery that includes gourmet potatoes.

We call them gourmet because they are. Small spuds of varying colors and textures, specially bred to be small and flavorful.

Of course, we like “new” potatoes too.

What is the difference?

New potatoes are from varieties like Kennebec, Pontiac, and Yukon Gold. Most of these varieties are grown for size and storage. Before each hill of potatoes is harvested, the gardener gently digs around the plant. She is assessing the progress of the potatoes and pulling out a few of the early small ones. “New” refers to these early harvest culling of the plants that will be left to grow large potatoes.

A few of the gourmet varieties are Adirondack Red, French Fingerling, German Butterball, and All Blue. These potatoes are designed to be harvested when the potatoes are small in diameter. They have very thin skin similar to “new” potatoes but will not develop thick enough skin to store long term.

Many people have asked over the years how we fix these potatoes. It is a common question when presented with unknown varieties.

My favorite way to cook these is to oven roast in a cast-iron skillet with either garlic cloves or small new onions. We happen to have bunching onions available too, so it makes for a perfect dish.

To roast this way, preheat the oven to 375º, melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a cast-iron skillet. Scrub the potatoes but do not peel. Cut larger potatoes into pieces approximately the same size as the smallest potato. This ensures even roasting and that all potatoes in the skillet are done at the same time. Add potatoes and peeled garlic cloves or onions to the skillet. Toss to coat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until done as tested with a sharp knife.

Another great option for these potatoes is to scrub and cut as above but simmer in salted water until almost done. Drain and allow to dry. Smash each potato flat and then brush with olive oil and season to taste. Grill or oven roast at 450º until the outside is crispy but the inside remains tender. Turn at least once, but try not to turn too many times as the potatoes will fall apart.

The third way I prepare these is in a vinegar dressing-based potato salad. Add crispy crumbled bacon, hard-boiled eggs, chopped dill pickles, salt, and pepper to taste. Dress with a combination of flavorful olive oil and tasty vinegar. This is pretty when red, white, and blue potatoes are available around the 4th of July.

So get cooking with gourmet potatoes. Let us know your favorite preparation.

Roasted Garlic

Roasting garlic is one of my favorite ways to eat it. Roasting mellows the flavor and creates a smooth textured paste. Roasted Garlic is delicious on almost anything.

The first time I had roasted garlic was in an Italian restaurant in Destin, Fl. The waiter presented the table with a whole head of garlic, still warm from the oven. A slice had been removed from the top then it was drizzled with olive oil. The waiter squeezed the cloves from the papery covering and added more olive oil. Salt, a couple of cranks of the pepper grinder, and parmesan rounded out the topping for our soft Italian bread.

I was smitten.

Roasting garlic is easy.

Since that first experience, I knew I must do this at home. I even acquired a cast iron garlic roaster in the shape of a bulb of garlic with a flat bottom. This was touted as a tool to use on the grill or over a fire.

Sometimes I cut a slice from the top of the garlic head, drizzle it with olive oil and wrap the whole thing in foil. Roasting in the oven at 350º for about 35 minutes seems to do the trick. After it cools enough to handle but is still warm, follow the same plan our waiter in Destin did.

Delicious.

A note about roasting.

You don’t have to risk slicing your fingers trying to get the top cut off the whole head. Go ahead and separate the cloves, but leave them in the papery outer covering. I recommend you do this with several heads of garlic at once because you can never have too much roasted garlic.

Toss the cloves with a healthy amount of olive oil, then add another drizzle for good measure. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil with enough length to cover and seal over the top of the garlic. You are making a packet.

Bake at 350º for 35 minutes or until the aroma drives you crazy. If you aren’t sure the cloves are done, open the packet carefully to avoid a steam burn. Gently press on one of the cloves with a knife. If it gives easily, it is done. Otherwise bake another 5-10 minutes, until soft.

Once the garlic is roasted, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Set a fine-meshed sieve over a bowl and force the garlic through with the back of a spoon. Discard the exterior paper casings of the cloves. You may need to scrape the bottom of the sieve with a rubber spatula to gather all that garlicky goodness. Add more olive oil as desired.

Now spread that roasted garlic and olive oil on everything.

This week, I put it on a homemade pizza. I always pre-bake my homemade pizza crust on a baking stone so it gets crispier. After pre-baking, I spread some of the roasted garlic/olive oil mixture over the crust, then topped with pizza sauce. On this occasion, I added sliced green olives, tablespoonfuls of cream cheese, and a parmesan/romano/asiago cheese blend. Then back into the oven to finish baking. You can use whatever toppings or cheeses inspire you.

No matter the toppings, the addition of roasted garlic makes this pizza extra delicious.

Let us know how you enjoy garlic.

Warm Saltines Are An Ephiphany

Sometimes the smallest effort can lead to a serious food upgrade.

Every once in awhile I stumble on a grand idea. I realize others may have already discovered this very same thing but when I actually experience it, somehow it becomes more real. Isn’t that the way with almost anything? A physical experience writes knowledge on you in a way that reading about it cannot fully convey.

So read this article to get the idea, but then go do it for yourself. It is quick, easy and painless.

Unless you burn your fingers.

Continue reading “Warm Saltines Are An Ephiphany”

Spring Garlic—What Is It And How To Use It

Spring Garlic is similar to green onions in appearance, but with a mild garlic flavor. As a bonus, they are prolific growers, so you can have these year after year.

I’m always looking for a new food to try in the kitchen. It’s even better when I can experiement with a locally grown ingredient that is inexpensive and abundant.

Enter Spring Garlic

First what is it?

Some refer to this as wild garlic, although we grow a row on purpose. It comes back every year and in fact multiplies if we don’t keep it under control. This garlic does not produce large bulbs like you will find on cultivated garlic, but it is still quite delicious. There are several parts of this plant I use at different times of the year.

Parts to use

Spring garlic does not produce large root bulbs, so don’t expect to use this for cloves of garlic. Instead, in the early spring, it is used like green onions, except with the taste of garlic. Later, as it prepares to flower, the end of the flower stalk can be snapped off and cooked. These are referred to as scapes. (This post gives more information about using those.)

After a week or so of growth beyond the scape stage, you can harvest bulbils. These occur just before the bud begins to break open into a flower and provide another tasty option. Pick the flower bud, peel back the thin covering and separate the tiny bulbs. These give a delicious pop of garlic flavor in any dish.

Early stalk use

The rest of this post will describe how to use the early part that looks like a green onion.

Harvest when the bottom is just beginning to swell and the green shoots are about one to two feet tall. While you are harvesting for the table, you are also thinning out the crop to allow the remaining plants to grow and thrive. Trim the root ends and peel back the outer layer of more fibrous covering. Wash thoroughly to remove any remaining dirt particles.

Slice thinly just up to where the stalk begins to turn green. Send the remainder to the compost pile.

Use as you would in place of garlic. Beware, this will smell very strong but the flavor is quite light.

Sample Menu

For an entirely garlic themed meal, I used thinly sliced pieces in a lemon and olive oil sauce for pasta. Then, I minced the remaining pieces, mixed with butter and topped italian seasoned scones. Pair with a crisp green salad. Delicious.

For more cooking ideas like this, check out my cooking memoir Simply Delicious. Plus follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media for daily Five Feline Farm updates.