Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook (10 page)

Jim is a muscled athlete with an extremely low body mass index. But you wouldn't know it from learning this is his favorite potato dish.

1.
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter with the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is very limp and has caramelized without burning, 15 to 25 minutes. Be sure to cook until the onion has completely changed color. Set the pan aside.

2.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375˚F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.

3.
In a bowl, toss together the grated cheeses.

4.
Place a layer of sliced potatoes in the baking dish, followed by a scattering of the cooked onions. Sprinkle on a layer of cheese, then sprinkle on some of the sage. Continue to layer until you have used up the potatoes, onions, cheese, and sage. End with a layer of cheese.

5.
In a bowl, stir the salt and pepper into the heavy cream and pour slowly over the potato mixture so as not to disturb the cheese topping. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is golden brown.

Makes 8 to 12 servings

These are wonderful on their own, or if you're not going the vegetarian route, they can accompany any kind of pork dish.

1.
Core, peel, and slice the apples as you would for a pie. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the apple slices and cook and stir until they begin to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove them to a bowl.

2.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the pan over medium-low heat and add the brown sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

3.
Remove the pan from the heat to avoid igniting the Cognac.
Add the Cognac to the butter mixture, stir it in, and return the pan to the stove. Cook this mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil. Boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.

4.
Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully return the apples to the pan. Keeping the heat on medium, stir frequently until the apples are hot. Either serve immediately or cool and briefly reheat at serving time.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This isn't technically a side dish; it's a sauce. But you can serve it with sliced fresh vegetables, with steamed green beans or broccoli, or in any salad calling for mayonnaise.

1.
In a food processor, combine the egg, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and salt and process until well blended, 30 to 40 seconds.

2.
Place the oil in a small pitcher. With the processor running, dribble the oil into the egg mixture in a thin stream. When all the oil has been added, turn off the processor and scrape the mayonnaise into a small bowl that can be tightly covered. Keep the mixture chilled. It is best to use homemade mayonnaise within 24 hours.

Makes 1 cup

My brother, Bill Mott, taught me the trick of soaking wild rice overnight before cooking. Thus ended many years of cooking wild rice for hours and still ending up with chewy kernels.

1.
The night before you are to serve the salad, thoroughly rinse the rice, place it in a glass bowl, and completely cover the grains with spring water. Allow the rice to soak overnight. The next morning, carefully drain the rice in a sieve.

2.
In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil and add the rice. Cover the pan and immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Allow the rice to cook, covered, for 45 minutes at sea level and for 1 hour to 1¼ hours at high altitudes, or until the kernels have puffed and taste done (i.e., they are not chewy or hard). Drain the rice and measure it. You should have between 1¾ and 2 cups cooked rice. Spread the wild rice out on two plates to cool
completely.
For the salad, the grains must be dry and cool. Pat the rice dry with paper towels, if necessary.

3.
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, and mustard, and whisk well. Add the oil in a thin stream, whisking all the while, until you have a smooth, blended dressing.

4.
In a medium bowl, gently combine the cool wild rice with the scallions, radishes, tomato, jicama, and spinach. Pour the dressing over this mixture and mix very gently. Taste and correct the seasoning with the salt and pepper. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

5.
Turn out onto a small platter that you may line with spinach leaves, if desired. The salad must be consumed the day it is made; it does not keep well.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This dish was a particular favorite of my mother's. I would make it when our family would visit Charlottesville, Virginia, in the summer.

1.
In a saucepan of boiling spring water, cook the potatoes just until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool, then quarter the potatoes.

2.
In a small bowl, thin the mayonnaise slightly with cream. Add the garlic, dill, salt, and white pepper to taste. Taste the mixture and correct the seasoning.

3.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the mayonnaise mixture. If the potatoes are not completely covered with the mayonnaise mixture, thin another ¼ cup mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of whipping cream, and mix it in. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill well, preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

Makes 4 servings

This is a great dish to take to potlucks, especially when you know people are bringing Tex-Mex foods. I invariably end up doubling the recipe. Note that the dressing does indeed have to be made at serving time, and the crushed corn chips sprinkled on just before serving. But it's worth it, and the bowl you took to the potluck will look as if it's been licked clean.

1.
Tear the lettuce into small pieces and toss with the cheeses, scallions, and tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate in a salad bowl until serving time.

2.
When you are ready to serve the salad, make the dressing. Peel, pit, and scoop the avocado into a small bowl. Mash with the sour cream, oil, lemon juice, and picante sauce and mix well.

3.
Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle the top with crushed chips.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Back when I was developing this recipe, everyone ran cold water over their pasta to cool it. But these days, that rinsing is frowned upon, as it washes away starch and makes sauces adhere less to the pasta. So I no longer rinse the pasta for this dish. I do let it cool to room temperature, though, because hot pasta will absorb the dressing. So I drain it, put it in a bowl on the counter, and keep an eye on it while I'm doing other things. I give it a stir now and then, and taste-test one piece of pasta every ten minutes or so. Once the pasta is cool, I mix all the ingredients together, then place it in a large, pretty bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill several hours before serving. If you're making this vegetarian, leave out the bacon.

1.
In a large pot of boiling spring water, cook the pasta until al dente, usually 11 to 13 minutes. Drain and let cool.

2.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, and mayonnaise. Add the cooled pasta, celery, bacon, eggs, scallions, salt, and paprika (if using). Toss gently and taste for seasoning. Chill thoroughly before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

People love strawberries in salad, because it makes them think they're not actually eating something that's good for them; they're eating something delicious (which is also good for them). For the edible-pod peas in this dish, you can use either sugar snaps or snow peas.

1.
In a glass jar with a screw-top lid, combine the oil, vinegar, and mustard. Shake thoroughly.

2.
Steam the peas in a small amount of water until bright green but still crunchy, about 30 seconds. Remove them from the heat, drain, then quickly run cold water over them to stop the cooking. Drain again.

3.
In a bowl, combine the peapods and sliced strawberries. Shake the dressing again and drizzle over the peapods and strawberries. Serve immediately or chill for no more than 1 hour.

Makes 4 servings

As much of a hassle as it is to grill vegetables (and it is), this salad is worth the trouble. You can make it for a cookout an hour before your guests arrive.

1.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture between two 9 x 13-inch glass baking dishes.

2.
Place the zucchini into one of the baking dishes and mix carefully with your (clean) hands, so that all the zucchini slices are lightly coated with the oil-garlic mixture.

3.
Place the mushrooms, onion slices, and corn into the other glass pan and again mix carefully by hand so that all the vegetables are lightly coated with the oil-garlic mixture.

4.
Preheat the grill and oil the grates. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

5.
Place the zucchini slices on the grill and cook briefly—no longer than 30 seconds—on one side only. Place the zucchini slices back into their glass pan, grilled side up, and put them into the oven while you prepare the rest of the salad (but for no longer than 10 minutes).

6.
Briefly grill the mushrooms, onion slices, and corn on all sides, until they have grill marks but are not quite cooked through. This
should only take a few minutes. Remove the onion slices and mushrooms and set them aside to cool. Holding each ear of corn perpendicular to a cutting surface, slice off the kernels.

7.
Remove the zucchini from the oven. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini slices, mushrooms, onion slices, and corn kernels. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and carefully stir in the fresh basil. Serve immediately or chill for no more than 1 hour.

Makes 4 servings