GVW # 4 (link up): Herbs Gone Wild

Welcome to
Garden Variety Wednesday # 4. 
Link up your recipes & ideas using fresh produce below.

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We had a rough winter down here in Louisiana.  Rough by our standards, that is.


I spent unusually many below freezing nights worried about my plants.  Especially Rosemary, who gets prissy when it comes to the cold and ice. 

One night my husband found me barefoot and shivering, dressed in my robe, out in the yard after 10 PM harvesting.  Holding a flashlight between my teeth, stuffing satsumas and tangerines in my pockets.  There was an unexpected hard freeze--lower temps than we'd ever had before and I didn't know if the fruit would survive (they would've...let's just say I'm...cautious.)  Seems like all winter I was digging through closets and cabinets gathering old blankets and beach towels.  Only once forgot to cover the plants.  (Once is all it takes.)


Luckily the fretting, covering, and uncovering (which gets old fast) paid off.  I breathed a sigh of relief (or was it exhaustion?) once those first little shoots in my herb garden popped up from the ground.  Rosemary still stands, undamaged.


Herbs do their best when they are harvested often.  By some miracle (Miracle Gro, that is) mine have suddenly gone crazy.  It can be hard to keep up. 

There are tricks when it comes to horticulture.  This is what I find most fascinating about plants.  We try to manipulate them and con them into doing what we want--when we want it.  It's a human power trip thing. 

We force bulbs to flower early.  We hold back light to get Christmas color or to turn normally green vegetables white.  We alter soil pH to make flowers blue or make them blush.  We give certain fertilizers and deny others.  We pinch and prune.  We train and tie.  We mess with their hormones. 


It's worse than getting ready for a beauty pageant.  (I imagine.  This has never taken part.)


If we've performed these tricks correctly, we're rewarded.  Sometimes in excess.

There are tricks I've picked up along the way for herb gardens gone wild.  Not blow-your-mind tricks, but handy ones.  There'll be more in future GVW posts.


* Herbs can be turned into a slurry and frozen in oil.  Add about a cup of herb leaves (1 type or a mixture) to a food processor.  Chop, then slowly add olive oil until reaching a paste consistency.  Freeze in ice cube trays.  Toss with pasta, vegetables, meats.

* Excess parsley, green onion, and chives: chop and freeze for gumbo, soups, stews, beans...anything except garnishes. When they thaw it ain't pretty.  Double bag/wrap green onion to avoid green onion ice cream.

* At the end of the season when frosts and freezes loom and I'm panicky (yes, I know you're surprised by that), I resort to drying.  In the humid south, tying up stems and hanging them upside down will only get me moldy bouquets.  Quick microwave drying is for me.  Place herb leaves flat in one layer on 3-4 layers of paper towels.  Place in the microwave and nuke on low power in 5 second intervals until dried.  Crumble (not dust) and save to a jar.


No doubt, though, herb quality is best when fresh.  So I'm always on the prowl for recipes like the one below.  Ones that allow me to snip bits from plants needing to be tamed.

I've adapted this recipe from a former co-worker.  Original source not known

Toasted Orzo "Risotto" w/ Fresh Herbs...
You'll need orzo pasta, chicken or vegetable stock,
a mix of herbs--a palmful, Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper

Oregano, basil, chives & parsley today. 
Who knows what'll get thrown in next time.

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add the orzo and stir until golden.

Doesn't take long, so watch it close.

When the orzo gets nice and toasted, it's time to add the stock (homemade if you have it) and cook risotto style.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese, s & p.  Turn off the heat, stir in the herbs & serve.

*I wouldn't think any less of you
if you used 1/2 cup white wine for some of the stock. 
I promise I wouldn't.


Tames the herb garden and the family.

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Toasted Orzo "Risotto" with Fresh Herbs
1 c orzo pasta
3 1/2 - 4 cups warm chicken stock*   
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
palmful of fresh herbs, torn or coarsely chopped (any mix you have)

Preheat a skillet or sauté pan over medium.  Add the orzo.  Toast, stirring constantly, until orzo is golden brown. 

Stir in 3 cups of warm chicken stock.  Stir occasionally and simmer over medium to medium low heat for about 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.  When liquid is absorbed, add 1/2 cup more stock (or white wine).  Stir and simmer until absorbed.  The pasta should be cooked through.  If not, repeat with 1/4 cup stock and test again. 

Season with salt and pepper and stir in Parmesan cheese.  Remove from heat and stir in herbs.  4 side dish servings

* if you have it, sub 1/2 c white wine for some of the stock.

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GARDEN VARIETY WEDNESDAY # 4

Made a dish with something you nurtured in your garden?
Maybe a neighbor stopped by and shared some of his/her harvest?
Have baskets of goodies from a pick-your-own farm?
Found some treasures at your local farmer's market?


Share your recipes and ideas using fresh produce here!


* In your post, link back to Ms. enPlace or grab a Garden Variety Wednesday button and add it to your post.
* Link your post--not your home page.
* Please, one link per person.
* Since growing seasons differ so much even across the US, old/archived posts are welcome, but please edit with a link back or a button.
* Have fun visiting other blogs!


Garden Variety Wednesday schedule:

May 11 & May 25        June 8 & June 22
July 13 & July 27        August 10 & August 24
Past August...up to Mother Nature and if participation picks up





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Linking up with:
Make a Food-"e"-Friend Monday #10 @ The Saturday Evening Pot
Made it on Monday #7 @ Lark's Country Heart
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Hearth and Soul vol 45
Delectable Tuesday @ Home Sweet Farm
Tip Day Thursday @ Around My Family Table
What's Cooking Thursday @ Feeding Four
Potluck Friday #31 @ EKat's Kitchen
Fresh, Clean & Pure Friday @ la bella vita
Presto Pasta Nights #211 hosted by Theresa @ Food Hunters Guide

What's In Your Easter Basket?

What's your favorite Easter candy?

Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite has been Gold Brick Eggs.

Gold Brick Eggs are made by Elmer Chocolate, located in Ponchatoula, LA (NW of New Orleans, also famous for strawberries).  One of my cousins works there and I think she may very well be the luckiest girl in the world.  I don't know how far Elmer distributes this little Easter basket prize.

I sure hope that area includes you.

Gold Brick Eggs are made of milk chocolate and are packed with pecans.  The texture of the chocolate is divine.  The phrase "pecan melt-a-way" on the packaging gives you a glimpse at what you're in for.  According to the company's website, Gold Brick Eggs have been around since 1936.  You just know these are good, right?!

Even as a child, I was loyal.  Never swayed by trendy candies dressed in Easter garb.  Not even pastel candies that bear my initials.  Not even the butterfly earrings or the sidewalk chalk the Easter Bunny placed in my basket could top a Gold Brick Egg.

(Note: I am receiving no compensation for my endorsement of this product.  I spent my own money buying multiple packs the pack of Gold Brick Eggs.  Elmer Chocolate has not contacted me to review or endorse their product.  They really don't need me to do that!)

While reading through my Talk About Good II cookbook, I came across a recipe titled "Gold Bricks."  Oh, Lord.  I'd died. 

And gone to Heaven, of course. 

I set out to make these gold bricks, not paying attention to anything except the fact that now I could have gold bricks year round (which sounds like a good thing in theory...well...).

It wasn't until I started heating evaporated milk, sugar, and butter that I realized this was familiar.  Very familiar.  And not Gold Brick Egg familiar.

The recipe is simply a variation of Fantasy Fudge--the fudge you find on the side of a marshmallow creme jar. 

The Gold Brick Fudge was perfectly fine, although a little soft.  My heart wasn't in it once I realized this was not my Holy Grail.

I hope the Easter Bunny leaves me enough Gold Brick Eggs to last a while.


I'm linking this with
Around My Family Table's Tip Day Thursday--Easter Edition

Another one of our Easter traditions is the
Cajun Easter egg game called paquing.

Also linking this week with:
Make a Food-"e"-Friend Monday #9 @ The Saturday Evening Pot
Made It On Monday #6 @ Lark's Country Heart
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Hearth and Soul vol 44 
Delectable Tuesday @ Home Sweet Farm
What's Cooking Thursday @ Feeding Four
Potluck Friday @ EKat's Kitchen
Seasonal Saturday @ la bella vita
Seaside Simplicity's Easter Party
Food on Friday @ Carole's Chatter


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Gold Bricks (fudge)
adapted from Talk About Good II

1 (12 oz) package of milk chocolate chips
2 cups chopped pecans
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
3 1/2 c sugar
2 sticks butter
1 tsp vanilla

Place chocolate chips, pecans, and marshmallow creme in a large bowl.
Butter the sides and bottom of a large pan.  Place milk, sugar, and butter in a large pot over medium heat and let come to a boil.  When the mixture begins to boil, time for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla, then pour mixture into the bowl with the chocolate, pecans, and marshmallow.  Stir vigorously until well blended.  Pour in buttered pan.  Place pan in refrigerator until completely cooled.

IHCC: Which Came First? Eggs, Sausage, & Potatoes

When you live by the philosophical musings of Yogi Berra...

"The future ain't what it used to be."
"I didn't really say everything I said."
"It ain't over 'til it's over."


...questions like

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound?
What is the sound of one hand clapping?
Which came first--the chicken or the egg?

can be real head-scratchers.

So, Grasshopper, how 'bout we eat some of this and think on it a while.

This week's I Heart Cooking Clubs theme is "Chicken & the Egg."  Click below to see the featured Jamie Oliver chicken and/or egg dishes.


Notes:
* Spanish chorizo isn't available here.  I substituted smoky, spicy local andouille sausage, which we absolutely love. 
* Used thinly sliced red onion instead of shallots--I already had the onion.
* I was tempted to skip the salad on top and just call everyone to the table.  But I'm glad I didn't do that.  Not only does the parsley salad add bright pops of color, it adds bright pops of fresh flavor too.  I even drizzled the excess lemony dressing over the pan before serving.
* the recipe says this serves 2, but those two people must be big eaters!

It's deja vu all over again

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Garden Variety Wednesday link open until Wed., April 20.
Link up recipes and ideas using fresh produce.
Archived posts welcome.
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Potato and Chorizo (Andouille) Omelette w/ a Kinda Parsley Salad
from JamieOliver.com (printable version can be found here)


4 small waxy potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large free-range or organic eggs
4 oz good-quality Spanish chorizo sausages, cut into 1cm thick slices (used andouille)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
2 shallots, peeled and very finely sliced (used red onion)
juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked


Preheat your oven to full whack, or get your grill nice and hot. Put the potatoes into a saucepan of boiling salted water and simmer them until cooked, then drain in a colander and leave them to steam dry. Beat the eggs with a fork in a large mixing bowl, season well with salt and pepper, and put to one side.

Heat a 7-8 inch non-stick, ovenproof frying pan. Add the chorizo slices and the potato chunks. The chorizo will start to sizzle, releasing all its tasty oils and spices. After a couple of minutes, when everything’s lightly golden and crisp, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put to one side. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves into the hot fat. As soon as they hit the pan, they’ll start to crisp up. Pour the beaten eggs on top immediately, adding the potatoes and chorizo and spreading everything out evenly. Place the whole pan in the preheated oven or under the grill until the omelette is golden brown on top and just cooked through in the middle.

While the omelette is cooking, put the shallots into a bowl with the lemon juice, some salt and pepper and a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Toss and pinch the shallots with your fingertips to soften them slightly, then mix in the parsley leaves. Serve a little on top of the omelette and tuck in!

Garden Variety Wednesday #3...How I got the gardening itch (and pan roasted carrots)

Thanks to all who linked up with Garden Variety Wednesday #2!
Link up with GVW #3 below!

Hopefully more of you are experiencing warmer weather and your gardens are taking off. 

I am from gardeners.  Dirt stained hands.  Worn, holey knees.  My great-grandpa turned his second lot into a vegetable garden.  Great-grandma cooked whatever he pulled, picked, or dug.  He worked his garden well into his 80s.  He always had the itch--had it bad.  He was a country boy with a Cajun accent so heavy I often had him repeat himself.  He moved to the city for work.  But in his garden, especially once the rows of corn grew, the city faded away.  His daughter, my grandma (House to my regular readers), also has the gardening itch.  She has a fondness for growing miscellaneous peppers, which my grandpa turned into pepper jellies and relishes.  She doesn't grow edibles much anymore; potted ferns and flowers are now her calamine lotion.

My dad has always had a large garden as well.  With no kids at home, he's expanded.  And has plans to rip up even more lawn in favor of vegetables.  Though not related by blood to great-grandpa and House, my dad has the itch too.  As a little girl, I remember dad coming home from work and going straight to the garden to weed, harvest, water.  I knew it had been a particularly bad day if he pulled up a lawn chair to sit while drenching the plants with the hose. 

At three, dad let me pick out a tree for the yard.  I chose a peach.  A Charlie Brown peach purchased from a grouping of other Charlie Brown trees on display in a local grocery store.  Not expecting the tree to live, dad set me loose.  I picked the spot--the exact center of the backyard.  That puny tree grew and grew some more.  It was a hangout for a little hoot owl one spring.  It provided us with many years of some of the juiciest, sweetest peaches I've had the pleasure of eating.  And a helluva problem when we wanted to host neighborhood baseball games.  Built in shortstop. 

My dad eventually forgave my landscaping mistake and appointed me head landscaper of the front yard.  Holy moley.  Once again front and center.  We went to the nursery.  I picked giant, fragrant, deep pink girly roses.  Dad eyed 6 packs of Dusty Miller...and got his way since he was paying.  I countered with girly pink azaleas.  Small, Charlie Brown azaleas.  History does repeat itself.  So do I.

The roses were quickly attacked by aphids and that was a real drag.  I was 12 or 13 and didn't have time for this mess.  But I also couldn't let dad down.  I went out daily with a squirt bottle, shooting teeny aphids with soapy water.  I developed a perverse pleasure in my mass murders.

One day while suffocating aphids and pulling weeds--butt to the world, I broke a branch from an azalea.  Considering the plant only had a few branches at the time, I panicked.  A favorite phrase of dad's squeezed my heart: you're in deep doo-doo.  Every child knows this feeling.  The lose-lose choice you're faced with.  Come clean or hide.  

I hid.    

I snatched the broken branch and shoved it down through the mulch into the soil.  Up close to the plant.  No one would ever know.  And no one ever did.  Several weeks later, I checked on my tell-tale-heart.  Inhaled and gave a little tug.  Expecting it to wither and turn to dust right there in my hand.  But it didn't move.  I brushed pine bark aside.  Carefully scooped soil away with my fingertips.  And found that the scene of my crime was no longer dressed in blinding yellow tape, flaunting my ineptitude.  The branch (no more than a 6 inch twig that dad wouldn't have given a second thought to) had rooted. 

Let me tell you, this was the feeling of creating life.  I felt magic.  I felt divinity.  I felt power. 

I felt the itch.

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A friend of mine, Rachel, pan roasts vegetables when it's too hot to run the oven.  She started with broccoli and moved on to other vegetables.  I used her method with carrots--a vegetable I've never really liked except raw.  I'm hooked!  I love adding fresh thyme (herb gardening is now "my thing.") to the carrots, but a few pinches of dried thyme also works.

So simple...

Tip: The carrots roast faster (and who wants to wait on a side dish) and are more elegant looking when thinly cut.

Roast carrots, seasoned with salt and pepper, in olive oil on the stove top until tender and browned in spots.  About 20-30 minutes.  Sprinkle in the thyme just before serving and toss.

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Pan Roasted Carrots w/ Thyme
inspired by Rachel (burns_toast)

8 carrots
1 1/2-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2-2 tsp fresh thyme or a few pinches of dried thyme

Cut the carrots in half.  Halve again lengthwise.  Then cut each piece in half or in quarters (lengthwise again) depending on how fat your carrots are.

Heat oil in a skillet large enough to place the carrots in one layer.

When oil is hot, add the carrots and season with salt and pepper.  Pan roast over medium low for 20-30 minutes, until the carrots are tender and browned in spots.

If using dried thyme, add it the last 5 minutes of cooking.  If using fresh add just before serving, toss, and heat through.

About 4 servings.

Linking up this week with:

Make a Food-"e"-Friend Monday
Tuesdays at the Table
Hearth and Soul
Delectable Tuesday
Tip Day Thursday
Fresh, Clean & Pure Friday
Potluck Friday

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GARDEN VARIETY # 3

Made a dish with something you nurtured in your garden?
Maybe a neighbor stopped by and shared some of his/her harvest?
Have baskets of goodies from a pick-your-own farm?
Found some treasures at your local farmer's market?

Share your recipes and ideas using fresh produce here!

* In your post, link back to Ms. enPlace or grab a Garden Variety Wednesday button and add it to your post.
* Link your post--not your home page.

* Please, one link per person.
* Since growing seasons differ so much even across the US, old/archived posts are welcome, but please edit with a link back or a button.
* Have fun visiting other blogs!

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               Garden Variety Wednesday schedule:
April 27                                   July 13 & July 27                  
May 11 & May 25               August 10 & August 24
June 8 & June 22

IHCC: April Showers

April showers bring May flowers.

May flowers bring delicious fruit.

Fruit that can be used for this.

1-Minute Berry Ice Cream

We're celebrating April Showers with Jamie Oliver at I Heart Cooking Clubs.  Follow the link to see what's cookin' or to join in.


Also linking with Food on Friday: Ice Cream & Sorbets @ Carole's Chatter

At first glance, this "1-Minute Berry Ice Cream" may look like a smoothie.  But the honey and mint really make it something special.  At least The Husband and I thought so.  The Boy was not impressed with the mint.

A second batch--sans mint--did the trick for him.  The adults missed the fresh punch of mint though.  

* We used fresh strawberries as the base instead of the blueberries.  The blueberries at the market were fuzzy.

* I don't know if it's because mine is a hand-me-down food processor, but I couldn't get it to adequately break down the frozen mixed berries.  I ended up transferring everything to the blender.

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1-Minute Berry Ice Cream
from jamieoliver.com

1 x 500g pack of mixed frozen berries (about 1 lb)
150g fresh blueberries (about 1/3 pound)
3–4 tablespoons runny honey
1 x 500g tub of natural yoghurt (about 1 lb)
a few sprigs of fresh mint

In advance: Put 4 small glasses in the freezer, or you can serve straight into ice cream cornets, if you prefer.

When you're all set up and ready to go, get the glasses (if using) and the frozen berries out of the freezer. Divide the fresh blueberries between the glasses or cornets. Put the honey and yoghurt and leaves from the sprigs of mint into the food processor and whiz, then add the frozen berries and whiz again until combined. Spoon the frozen yoghurt over the fresh berries and serve. Yum.

Oh My! Crawfish Pie!

Hank Williams sings about crawfish pie in this peppy, easy-going, yippy-skippy way.  Kinda makes you want to get in the kitchen and make one.  And some jambalaya and filé gumbo for good measure.  Listening to him sing, you'd swear nothin' but good could come outta dat, cher.

It's taken me a while to get crawfish pie to turn out like I want.  But I think I'm finally on my way.

Grab a pie, grab a beer, grab a seat!

Spring means crawfish season.  I get excited when I see the farmers putting out their traps.

When you live in a place surrounded by crawfish ponds

...it's more than a little embarrassing to suck at crawfish pie.  Truth is, it's more likely that you'd find this dish at a restaurant or a festival than in the average kitchen.

Except for my aunt's kitchen.  Crawfish pie is her signature dish, I think.  It's something she always brings to parties--is asked to bring to parties. 

So how is it that I can follow her recipe and not get the same results?
Yeah, I don't know either.  But I'm very, very suspicious.

The problem was I was thinking big when I should have been thinking small.  I thought one big pie would be more practical.  Easier to work with.  Less mess.  Well, try cutting a wedge.  Soup city.  My aunt makes her pies in tiny 2-3 bite cute lil' baby pie shells that don't have to be cut into wedges. 

Mini.  Compact.  That's the ticket.     

Linked with

Share where you live and play




Mise en place for Crawfish Pie:
* butter and flour for the roux
My aunt uses cream of celery soup instead.
But I like the flavor of roux.
And I like to make roux (in case you haven't noticed).

* onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic

* half and half, diced tomatoes, water, Tony's, hot sauce, salt and pepper

* green onion and parsley

* and crawfish

Louisiana crawfish.
Practically from my backyard.

  Or from down the road a piece.

I used refrigerated Pillsbury pie crusts.

Four of 'em.
Feel free to one up me and make your own.


It starts like so many other good things.
With a roux.
A roux the color of a penny.

Step-by-step Cajun (dark) roux instructions here

The trinity (plus garlic) sizzles in the roux and smells heavenly.
No aroma is better than that.
The half and half will help create a rich, creamy sauce. 
Even richer and creamier once the crawfish fat goes in.
And if I'm making roux, you know green onions and parsley get involved.

Cut the pie crust to your desired size.  Place cooled filling on one half.
Dip a fork in water and crimp edges.
Vents wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Worthy of a song

Linking this week with:
Make a Foodie-"e"-Friend Mondays @ The Saturday Evening Pot
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff 
Hearth and Soul Blog Hop
Tip Day Thursday @ Around My Family Table
Friday Potluck @ EKat's Kitchen
Seasonal Saturday at la bella vita

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Crawfish Pies

4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
1 onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
about 1/2 can diced tomatoes (with juice)
1/2 c half & half
1/2 tsp Tony's
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
few shakes hot sauce
1 lb crawfish tails with fat
1/4 c water
1/4-1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 c chopped parsley

3-4 sheets of refrigerated pie crust (for individual pies)

Start a roux by melting the butter.  When melted, sprinkle in the flour.  Stir and scrape over medium heat until the roux is the color of a new penny.

Immediately add the chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic.  Cook in the roux until softened.

Stir in the tomatoes and half & half.  Season with Tony's, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.  Simmer on medium low for about 15-20 minutes, until thickened.

Stir in the crawfish and water.  Simmer about 15 minutes to cook the crawfish through.  Add the green onion and parsley and stir.  The mixture should be thick with very little liquid.  Taste for seasoning and adjust.  Allow to cool while you prepare the crust.

Preheat oven to 350.  On a lightly floured surface, cut the pie crusts into desired size with a floured cutter, glass rim, or small bowl.

Place filling on one half of the crust and fold.  Dip the tines of a fork in water and press the edges of the crust to seal.  Cut air vents on the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 350 until golden.  Pies made from 5" diameter circles took about 25 minutes.

IHCC: Cooking Naked w/ Jamie Oliver

This week kicks off 6 months of cooking with Jamie Oliver.
Visit the I Heart Cooking Clubs site to find out more info and to see which recipes are featured this week.

I don't know much about Jamie Oliver.  And when I say "don't know much" I'm being pretty easy on myself.  I should know more about him since he digs gardening as do I.  (Bad pun intended...of course.)  


This week's IHCC theme is "Let's Get Naked."

Several recipes were bouncing around in the old noggin. 
Simple, clean, stripped-down recipes. 

But I kept coming back to Chef Oliver's Garlic, Thyme, & Anchovy Baked Potatoes.  While simple, this isn't as bare as other recipes I could have chosen.  But I was intrigued by the anchovies and couldn't let it go.

The Boy gobbled this up.  And he is usually underwhelmed by potatoes of any kind.  He liked the idea of eating the anchovy bones, which he originally thought were hairs in his food.  Hairs...gross.  Fish bones...all right!

(Just so you know what I'm dealing with over here: he also likes to eat capers because he thinks they look like boogers, garlic because it leaves him with "vampire killer" breath, and beans because...well, you know.  I thank you for your pity.)

Anchovy haters: It's hard to cut through starch, so the anchovy flavor in this is actually very mild.  I know.  I know.  People say that all the time.  I thought the dominant flavor was the thyme.

You have to be dressed before you can get naked.

Peek-a-boo...

I see you.
All naked and sexy.

Linked with Food on Friday: Anchovies & Sardines @ Carole's Chatter


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Garlic, Thyme, & Anchovy Baked Potatoes
from JamieOliver.com

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 tablespoons butter, softened
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
8 baking potatoes
8 anchovies, or 4 rashers of bacon (the best quality you can afford) if you’re not an anchovy fan
a handful of fresh thyme sprigs

Everyone loves a baked potato and this is one of the tastiest ways to make them. Slice, fill, then fit them back together.

Pound the garlic and butter in a pestle and mortar until smooth. Season the garlic butter well with lots of pepper but just a little salt as the anchovy or bacon will act as a seasoning too.

Cut each potato into 8 slices. Coat the slices of each potato with the butter mix then reassemble each potato on a piece of double-thick foil. Cut the anchovies or bacon into strips and put between the slices. Do the same with the thyme sprigs and carefully wrap up the potatoes.

Lay the wrapped spuds on the cooler coals at the sides of the barbie for 1–1½ hours, depending on their size, turning every now and then, until tender. If you’ve got a gas barbie, put the potatoes right at the back over a low heat and give them plenty of time to cook. You might even want to give them half an hour’s headstart in the oven first.

Notes: the second time I made this, I just made a compound butter with all of the ingredients rather than handling them individually.