This recipe is inspired by the hash served by the excellent Broder in Portland.  If you have some kind of fancy dicing tool, I highly recommend using it because dicing all those root veggies by hand is quite a task!

Root Vegetable Hash with Sauteed Greens

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound potatoes,  1/8-inch diced
• 1/2 pound mixed other root vegetables (celery root, beet, rutabaga, and/or turnip), peeled and 1/8-inch diced
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
• 1 cup dandelion greens, shredded
• 1 cup dino kale, shredded
• 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
• 5  tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup pickled beets, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1.  In a large soup pot, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add diced root vegetables and onions and saute uncovered. Stir occasionally until vegetables are caramelized and tender, about 30 minutes. Add sage, remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  If you don’t have a large enough pot, feel free to do the hash in smaller batches, then reheat after all the batches are cooked.
2. White the hash is cooking, heat remaining olive oil in a wok or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add shredded dandelion greens, kale, and cabbage.  Stir continuously until the greens reduce in volume by 2/3 and are tender, about 5 minutes. Finish with apple cider vinegar, remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. When the hash is finished, serve topped with greens and pickled beets.

Fizzes are a very refreshing class of cocktails for summer. This version uses one of our favorite aperitifs and a brandy, but at your home bar have fun playing with other fortified wines or liqueurs and base spirits.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces brandy 
• 3/4 ounce Cardamaro
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• Carbonated water
• Lemon twist

Preparation

1. shake brandy, cardamaro, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bitters with ice. 
2. Poor in to a collins glass filled with ice. Top with carbonated water, stir, and garnish with a lemon twist.

This pizza was inspired by one we had a Portobello, a fantastic vegan restaurant in Portland. We also used it as an excuse to try our hands at a cauliflower pizza crust.

Papa Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Ingredients

Crust

It is causa time! This version is inspired by the one we enjoyed at Portland’s upscale Peruvian restaurant, Andina. It just so happens that most of the ingredients are in season and available from Johnson’s Backyard Garden this week.

Green Bean and Tomato Causa

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, boiled until tender
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or quarters
• 1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons purple onion, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 1 medium avocado
• 6 key limes, juiced
• 2 tablespoons aji amarillo paste
• 4 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise substitute

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, then blanch the green bean pieces for about 30 seconds.
2. Prepare the vegetable salad by combining tomatoes, blanched green beans, and onion in a large bowl with the juice of 2 key limes and minced parsley. Season with salt to taste.
3. Prepare the potato mixture by combining potatoes, juice of 3 lime limes, aji amarillo paste, and vegan mayo in a large bowl. Use a potato masher to combine until smooth, then salt to taste. 
4. Prepare the causa by creating a smooth layer of potato on the bottom of a casserole dish. Add a layer of vegetable salad and garnish with avocado slices. Sprinkle with remaining lime juice and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Kentucky 2013

Kentucky is not only home to horses and bourbon,  but for the last three years it has been home to my sister Jordan while she attended law school in Lexington. Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit her there one last time for her graduation. In addition to spending time with friends and family celebrating the occasion I also had a chance to sample some of the local delicacies.

James and I are bourbon drinkers, and in previous visits to Kentucky I have trekked out to Woodford Reserve which occupies an idyllic piece of land right in the heart of horse country (suspiciously idyllic according to the owner of Garrison Brothers who claims that Woodford lets Old Forester do their distilling). On this trip our family toured Buffalo Trace – a real working distillery which is evident by the strong odor of corn mash in the air and the hundreds of compact warehouses on the property. Bourbon distillation has taken place at this location in Kentucky for the last 200 years, including a “medicinal” trade during prohibition. In its history, the property’s stills and warehouses have passed through a number of hands and are currently in the possession of the Sazerac Company – a brand with its own proud history and New Orleans roots.  Today Buffalo Trace makes  many of the best regarded bourbons in America, including Pappy Van Winkle and Stagg. While the price tag on those brands is a little high for my taste, Buffalo Trace also makes the more affordable Eagle Rare (my personal favorite), Buffalo Trace, Blanton, and about a dozen other labels.