Light Scalloped Red Potatoes

The writing of this post didn't make it past potential headline choices.


The Art of Slicing
It's Kinda Therapeutic, You Know

How to Make Fancy, Rich Potatoes Semi-Light
A Little Swiss Cheese, Boiled Skim Milk, Oh and Garlic!

The Ugly Duckling
How Do You Photograph Cooked Potatoes and Make Them Pretty? Fail for Me

That Time I Became My Parents
Saturday Night Steak and Potatoes: Apparently I Inherited This Routine

You Don't Have to Have a Man to Make a Steak Dinner
How Two Single Gals Finished Every Bite of their Beef

The Night I Grilled a New York Strip Medium Rare
Alllll By Myself, I Might Add

Loaded Potato Salad+Tailgate

What I Learned about Tailgating this Weekend

What I get excited about:

Loaded  Potato Salad

(a cold version of sour cream+green onion+cheddar+bacon!bacon!bacon! goodness, with some roasted red potatoes hidden in there somewhere)

 recipe at bottom of post

 Football-Style Outrageous Brownies

Oatmeal-Butterscotch Cookies

What my mom gets excited about:

decor, team colors, team-colored jelly beans, orange "spa" water, tablecloths and flowers

All of the above is periphery to what my dad and his friends do when they tailgate sans females most of the season.

This is what the guys got excited about:

Meat! Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Meat! 

Pork Tenderloin

(And more meat not pictured! Ahi tuna bites, burgers, ham sandwiches, deer sausage, brats.)

 Most eaten non-meat item: 

Grilled red onions, bell pepper and baby portabella mushrooms

 The plate for one of like 15 continous meals: 

Sliced Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Barbecue Sauce and Grilled Onions/Peppers/Shrooms
(a combo to definitely be repeated)

Morale of the story: We all like to eat good food, so it works out well, especially on a gorgeously 70-degree sunny autumn day. Oh, and everyone else watched and talked about football.

Potatoes and Greens

The project: Potato and Greens Torta from the April Cooking Light

The verdict: Heeding the warnings of commenters online, I added lots of cheese to the recipe, so it was tasty. But I didn't see the point of adding eggs to my mashed potatoes and baking it in a pie dish other than for pretty presentation.

The take away: Hiding greens in your mashed potatoes and cheese is a brilliant way to pack in more rich vitamins and minerals from seasonal leafy vegetables (or bagged spinach) without punishing your taste buds. 

In the future, I plan to just make a version of mashed potatoes something like this: Saute spinach/kale/spinach/arugula/ romaine/whatever's in season with olive oil and minced garlic; cool and chop. Add greens to potatoes mashed with milk and a sharp cheese like parmesan or cheddar. Serve as a side dish. 

Recipe: Summertime Squash and Potato Tort

Upon searching epicurious.com for something to make with my yellow squash, I found a recipe that not only had rave reviews but also conveniently incorporated the other produce item I had on hand, red potatoes.  I roughly halved the recipe, making just one pan, and my round pan filled up with only two layers. I also used my friend PAM Olive Oil instead of drizzling. And because it took so long to bake, I made baking it a late-night project and reheated it the next day.

Summer Squash and Potato Torte with Parmesan

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

12 ounces yellow crookneck squash, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

6 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans. Set aside 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Toss remaining green onions, cheese, flour, thyme, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend.

Layer 1/6 of potatoes in concentric circles in bottom of 1 prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Layer 1/4 of squash in concentric circles atop potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Repeat with 1/6 of potatoes, then 1/4 of squash and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Top with 1/6 of potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture and press gently to flatten. Repeat procedure with second cake pan and remaining potatoes, squash, oil, and cheese mixture.

Cover pans with foil. Bake until potatoes are almost tender, about 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until tortes begin to brown and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes longer. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cool. Cover with foil and chill. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.)

Cut each torte into wedges. 

Makes 8 servings.