Green Potato Salad - no mayo required!

The other weekend, my future mother-in-law asked us to house sit for one night while she went out of town. The main reason she asked is that her two dogs and the kitty need food and attention - we were happy to house sit. In addition to playing with the furry guys, we were excited because she has an amazing vegetable garden - from which we could harvest whatever we wanted!

You might recognize this photo from my Facebook page.

This time of year, as we get into late summer, there are so many delicious treats in the garden. Everything is organic (she even makes her own compost), and while rummaging around the raised beds we found eggplant, corn, lettuces, herbs, and so many tomatoes! She had harvested some potatoes for us as well, and even though she hasn't planted any in a few years there are still some "volunteers" in the dirt. I took the potatoes home with us, and a few days later I made a delicious Green Potato Salad. I have to give a shout-out, as this recipe came from my friend Jamie Greenwood, the fabulous woman behind Jamie|Living. I first had it when my mom and I attended Jamie's mother/daughter cooking class a few years ago. You might remember my excitement from that day, we had a great time and I learned how to make a frittata!

I've made this potato salad a few times since that Mother's Day event, but this is the first time it's been on Zwick's Picks. I love it for so many reasons. First of all, it's super tasty and delicious! Second, there is no mayo in it, just a light sprinkle of olive oil and vinegar! Third, I get to eat greens IN the potato salad, it's like the best of both worlds. You could even add more greens to this if you wanted to. Read on for the recipe...

Jamie's Green Potato Salad - yum!!

Green Potato Salad (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2.5 lbs Organic Potatoes, washed and cut into large chunks
1 Organic Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3C Capers
1/4C Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped
3T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1.4T Red Wine Vinegar
2 Handfuls of Organic Arugula
Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper

Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potato chunks and a pinch of salt. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. Usually about 15 minutes, depending on the size. Drain the potatoes in a metal colander.
- Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl (the larger it is, the easier it'll be to stir everything together). Combine the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix together.
- Serve either warm or cold.

Potato Leek & Spinach Soup

What to do when your CSA box (or local market) provides you with leeks, potatoes and spinach all in the same week? Let's also pretend that it's a cold, foggy day and you want to curl up on the couch with something warm in your hand. Well, what I did is learn how to make Potato Leek Soup!

In keeping with one of my intentions for 2012, which was to make more soups at home, I looked through many recipes trying to find the "perfect" one to try. Some use broth, others use water. Some include cream while others do not.

The recipe I made is a blend of a few different versions I came across, but what was most exciting to me was that I came across a recipe that included spinach in the soup. The addition of spinach excited me, as I always get excited when I can throw more veggies into one dish! Plus, the added nutrients from the leafy green make this hearty soup even better for you! Spinach is rich in anti-oxidants, minerals and Vitamins K, A and Folate (a B vitamin). Be sure to chose organic for this recipe, especially the butter, potatoes and spinach. Also, for you vegetarians/vegans out there, this recipe could easily be made vegan by replacing butter with oil, chicken broth with veggie broth, and omitting the cream. I'm sure it would be delicious that way too!

Cook up a pot tonight, and enjoy!

Potato, Leek & Spinach Soup (serves 6)
Ingredients:
3T Organic Butter
3 Organic Leeks, sliced thin
1 Organic Onion, chopped
2 Organic Garlic Cloves, chopped
4-6 Organic Potatoes, washed and cut into 1" cubes (more = thicker soup)
4C Organic Broth (chicken or veggie - homemade is even better!)
1/2t Ground Nutmeg
1 Bay Leaf
1C Organic Spinach, roughly chopped
1C Heavy Cream
Salt & White Pepper to taste

Directions:
- Over medium heat, melt butter in large, heavy-bottom soup pot. Add leeks, garlic and onion and cook until just tender. Try not to let them brown!
- Add potatoes, stir to combine. Heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add enough broth to cover the potatoes. Also add the nutmeg and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
- Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until potatoes are soft.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Working in batches, blend the soup. Add a handful of chopped spinach (yes, it's uncooked) to the blender.
- Return the blended soup to the pot, add the cream and stir. Heat another 15 minutes.
- Add salt and white pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Serve hot and garnished with parsley, if you have any.