I am going to post them here so I don't forget them. If you happen to give them a try let me know how they turned out. I'm going to have to wait until sometime this week to make them because they call for using the oven and I am anti-oven right now. Why? Because my a/c is still not working and I refuse to heat my house up anymore than the sun already does.
Potato Salad
Ingredients
2 pounds small Yukon gold (or, if available, blue potatoes or Purple Majesty) potatoes, washed and dried
1 large bunch parsley, about 1-inch of stems still attached, thoroughly washed and roughly chopped with scissors
1 bunch basil, about 1-inch of stems still attached, thoroughly washed and dried, roughly chopped with scissors
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch sugar
4 to 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
2 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon capers and 1 teaspoon caper liquid
4 to 6 gherkins, depending on size, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces, plus 1 tablespoon gherkin liquid
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange to potatoes in a single layer in a baking dish and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a food processor (or blender), combine the parsley and basil leaves. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Add the water and blend. With the motor running, pour 1/2 cup of the olive oil through the top in a slow, steady stream. This doesn t need to be a smooth puree. It should be a little rustic and chunky. Taste for seasoning and add pinch of sugar. Pulse to combine and set aside.
In a serving bowl large enough to hold the potatoes, stir together the red wine vinegar, shallots, mustard, capers and liquid, and gherkins and liquid. Add 1/4 cup of the herb oil and toss. Taste for seasoning. Stir in half of the parsley/basil puree. When the potatoes are tender and yielding when pierced with the tip of a knife, after about 50 minutes, remove them from the oven. Allow them to cool for a few minutes. Peel half of them. Some potato skin is a nice flavor in the salad. Cut any big potatoes in quarters, the rest in half.
Put the potatoes in the bowl with the dressing. Season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss them in the dressing. Serve the remaining parsley/basil puree on the side. Keep at room temperature until serving.
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Blueberry Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cubed, plus 1 tablespoon for pan
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup shortening, chilled and cubed
1/2 to 2/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons ice water
Special equipment: 1 (9-inch) pie tin
Filling:
5 cups blueberries, discard any small or overly soft berries
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup granulated sugar
1 pinch kosher salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
12 to 14 ounces good quality blueberry jam
Glaze:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 orange, juiced
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Coat the pie tin with 1 tablespoon of butter. Clear and clean off a large, flat surface. Lightly flour the area.
Crust:
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Pulse in the shortening and 1 stick of the butter. Add some of the ice water and continue to mix until it looks like wet sand. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding more water and pulse again until it just comes together into a ball.
Put the dough on the floured surface and roll it into a ball. Cut in half. Reserve the second half. Using a rolling pin, roll out the first half, until it s at least 4 to 5 inches wider than the 9-inch pie tin, about 1/4-inch thick. Gently roll the dough onto your floured rolling pin and lay the dough into the pie tin. Press it into the bottom and the sides of the tin. Cook s Note: don t dock the crust because the filling is liquidy and will cause the crust to stick to the pie tin. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Roll the second half of the dough larger than the pie tin for the top of the pie. Gingerly lay it on a baking sheet and refrigerate it until filling is ready.
Filling:
In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, flour, butter, sugar, salt, lemon zest and juice. Mix to blend. Stir in the jam and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator and pour in the filling.
Remove the top crust from the refrigerator and fold it onto the rolling pin. Lay the dough over the top of the pie. Trim the overlapping edges to a 1 1/2-inch overhang. Tuck the edges of the top crust under the edges of the bottom crust, this eliminates the need for an egg wash. Pinch the top to make the edges fluted and sealed all around the pie. Use a pastry cutter or small knife to cut an opening in the center of the top crust.
Put the pie in the center of the oven and bake, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
While the pie is baking, combine the sugar, water and orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer gently to reduce by about half and coats the back of a spoon.
Open the oven door and slide the rack out slightly. Pour the mixture over the pie and into the opening in the top of the crust. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely before slicing. Serve alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
**
Don't they sound heavenly? I cannot wait to give them a try!
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