Our friend Brian Beadle is kind of a finicky eater -- he’s a meat and potatoes man. You could say he is sort of a "spuds specialist." His mashed potato recipe is fairly standard but his trick is to slip tiny pats of cold butter down into and throughout the hot potatoes when they are in their serving dish. The butter melts into hidden pools buried deep in the mashed potatoes to be discovered with each delicious forkful.
Man, do I love Australia. First, my oldest daughter was conceived there on our honeymoon…and while we're on the subject, have I ever shared with you that we almost named her Sydney as a nod to her... um... point of origin? In the end, I chickened out, though —I thought that might be a little corny. Or awkward to explain. Or…nevermind.
Crisp potatoes and rings of red onions are tossed hot off the grill with tender kernels of corn, cherry tomatoes, and spicy Jalapeño-Lime Vinaigrette. We use Rosefirs and Russian Bananas here—fingerling potatoes grown for us at Green Gulch Farm—but any variety of potato will do. For added smoky flavor, we throw the jalapenos for the vinaigrette right on the grill. If you don't have time to light up an outdoor grill, just roast the potatoes and grill the onions and jalapeños on a stovetop grill instead.
All cooks have a few basic recipes that they turn to again and again over the course of a year. Potato and green bean salad is one of mine. I make it different ways depending on the season and my mood. It's very good dressed with just olive oil and lemon juice, but it becomes absolutely superb when bound with homemade Green Goddess. If you're familiar only with the bottled version of this dressing, you must try my recipe, which is based on the original, invented in the 1920s by the great San Francisco chef Victor Hirtzler.
Sometimes the eating-close-to-the-ground concept needs a night off. You want a piece of meat, a potato and maybe a salad — the stuff of old-time grillers' dreams. With a grill and a pair of tongs, you can have it all.
Ingredients
Serve this warm or at room temperature.
Serve as a starter with bread for dipping or as a side dish for grilled foods. Use local organic ingredients if possible.
This could be the lightest, freshest tasting potato salad of the summer.
Little thin potato pancakes are done on a flat griddle and served with butter, sugar and cinnamon. You roll them up like a cigar and eat them warm.
Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Be sure they are cooked! Pour out most of the water and place the pot in the sink. Run cold water over the potatoes for about 2 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Drain well. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in a large bowl.