IZETTA'S SUNDAY PICNIC POTATO SALAD

I still have fond memories of my mom's Sunday picnic potato salad. She always put it in large Mason jars and packed it in ice in the cooler. We would drive to the country and have a picnic with some of our country relatives. Mom would tie on her pretty apron, put a couple of tablecloths on the picnic tables and set up her food. Her potato salad always contained chopped eggs. I buy eggs from local farms where they have a stand set up outside their entrances. You put the money in a tin box and take the eggs; all based on the honor system. Their hens are allowed to roam free and eat a variety of left-over veggies from kitchen scraps. When I was a little girl, my Aunt Stella would give me a basket and let me go into the hen house and collect a few eggs. She showed me how to gently cup the hen's head with one hand and slip out an egg from under her with my other hand. They never saw me take the eggs. Poor little hens; they just sat there as if they still had an egg under them. 

Left to right - my dad, Uncle Julian & Aunt Dorothy, Grand Uncle Edward & my mom, Izetta
My Aunt Hattie probably took the photo. I was off playing somewhere.

3 lbs Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes 
3 T dill pickle juice

1 to 2 dill pickles, finely diced, or ¼ cup sweet pickle relish

3 stalks celery, finely diced

¼ medium red onion, finely diced

4 hard cooked eggs, peeled and finely diced (optional)

1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's or Dukes)

1 T yellow mustard 

2 T finely chopped Italian parsley

½ t dried dill (optional)

½ t sea salt

¼ t fine ground black pepper

Paprika, for sprinkling

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil and boil for 10 minutes, or until fork tender.

Pour potatoes into a colander, let drain and cool for 30 minutes.

Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and add the pickle juice and gently toss.

Mix of the rest of the ingredients in a smaller bowl and add to the potatoes.  

Gently toss to combine, sprinkle with a little paprika. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours for flavors to blend.

10 servings

COFFEE CUP FLAN - Egg Custard

This is one of the easiest desserts to make. 

Caramel
½ cup granulated sugar

½ t fresh lemon juice

3 T water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place 6 heavy coffee cups (I use diner cups, not mugs) or custard cups in a roasting pan.  

Spread sugar in a medium-size cast-iron skillet.

Add the lemon juice and water and bring to a boil.

Cook until amber-colored caramel forms.

Remove from heat and pour the caramel into the coffee cups.

Custard

3 cups whole milk

½ cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 t pure vanilla extract

1 t Kentucky Bourbon (optional)

Pour milk into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, watching carefully so it does not boil over. Remove from heat. 

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs.  

Use a metal measuring cup, pour in a half cup of hot milk, while constantly whisking to temper the eggs. 
Slowly whisk in the rest of the hot milk, then whisk in vanilla and Bourbon.  

Strain through a mesh strainer into a large heatproof pitcher.  

Place a kettle of water on the stove to boil.

Pour custard into cups. 

Place roasting pan with cups on middle rack in the oven and then pour enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of cups.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Remove cups from hot water and cool to room temperature.  

Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours.  

Place bottom of cups, one at a time, in hot water for 30 seconds to help with unmolding.

Run a table knife around the edges of the cups.

Place a dessert plate on top and carefully flip over.

Let cups sit a minute and then gently tilt cups to let custard unmold.

Serves 6

IZETTA'S TOMATO, CUCUMBER, & RED ONION SALAD

In the summer, my mom would bring back baskets of tomatoes from her Uncle John and Aunt Hessie's farm in Evergreen Mills, Virginia. I updated the salad by using extra-virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil, 3 different varieties of tomatoes, and red onion. This salad brings back memories of my childhood and summertime.

1 English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

4 medium assorted tomatoes, cut into wedges
½ small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

Dressing

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

2 t granulated sugar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a salad bowl, add the sliced cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cider vinegar, olive oil, and sugar.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour salad dressing over salad and gently toss to combine.
Cover and let sit on the counter for about 15 minutes for flavors to develop.
Gently toss again before serving.

Serves 4

OATMEAL-COCONUT COOKIES WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES & PECANS

These oatmeal cookies are soft, moist, and not overly sweet. I added coconut and dried cranberries for additional flavor. You can certainly omit the coconut and cranberries, just add another ½ cup of oats.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 t pure vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 t ground cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

½ t sea salt

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter and sugars until smooth. 

Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats, salt, and coconut.

Slowly mix flour mixture into the butter mixture.

Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the dried cranberries and pecans.

Drop by a level medium size ice cream scoop onto 2 baking sheets.

Flatten lightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake for 12 to 13 minutes.

• Cookies can be frozen after they are dropped on the baking sheet until hard and then placed in a resealable bag.
• Before baking, let cookies thaw then slightly flatten with a sugared glass.

CHILE COLORADO

Chile Colorado is a traditional beef dish stewed in a red chile sauce. Colorado translates to "colored red" in Spanish. 

6 whole dried Guajillo chiles, broken into pieces, stems and seeds removed

2 cups boiling-hot water

2 T avocado oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 poblano, pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 T oregano leaves

1 3 to 4 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into large chunks

1 28-oz can red chile sauce or 3 10-oz cans enchilada sauce
2 cups beef broth

1 T chile powder

1 T ancho chile powder

1 T ground cumin

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place dried chiles in a large heat-proof bowl and add the boiling water.

Let sit in water for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add one tablespoon of the oil.

Sauté the onion, poblano, jalapeño, garlic, and oregano in oil for 10 minutes.

Spoon into a blender and add the soaked Guajillo chiles along with the soaking water.

Blend mixture until smooth.

In the same Dutch oven brown the meat in batches. 

Transfer browned meat to a platter while browning the rest.

Return all the meat to the Dutch oven and add the pureed mixture from the blender.
Add the red chile sauce or enchilada sauce, beef broth, chile powders, and cumin.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place in a 300 degree F oven for 4 hours.

Serve with black beans and Mexican rice.

Serves 6

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE OYSTERS

Most people are familiar with Oysters Rockefeller. The original recipe was created in 1899 by a chef at Antoine's restaurant in New Orleans. This is another way to serve fried oysters in the shell. I have never been fond of oysters, but maybe it was the butter, garlic, and lemon juice that made me love this version.

12 fresh raw oysters in shells

1 large egg

1 T Louisiana or Crystal hot sauce

1 cup corn flour or finely ground corn meal

1 T Creole seasoning

1 t granulated sugar

1 t sea salt

1 t lemon pepper

½ t paprika

Peanut or avocado oil, for frying

Lemon wedges, for serving

Lemon-Garlic Sauce

3 T unsalted butter

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

Juice of ½ lemon

2 T minced Italian parsley, divided

2 T grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

If you don't know how to shuck oysters, watch a YouTube video. They are very helpful.

Save as much of the nectar (juice, liquor) from the oysters in a small bowl.

Save the bottom halves of the shells, that contain a little bowl, and place on a small baking sheet.

Crack the egg into a bowl, add hot sauce and whisk with a fork.

Place shucked oysters in the beaten egg mixture and set aside.

In another bowl, add the cornflour, Creole seasoning, sugar, salt, lemon pepper, and paprika.

Remove oysters from egg mixture and dredge in cornflour mixture.

Place on a plate while heating up the oil.

In a cast-iron skillet, heat about ½-inch of oil until a small piece of flour sizzles when dropped in skillet.

Fry oysters until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes, total.

Remove oysters from skillet with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined platter.

In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter and olive oil together.

Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.

Add lemon juice, most of the parsley, and oyster nectar.

Carefully transfer oysters to each of the bottom shells.

Drizzle half of the Lemon-Garlic Sauce over oysters on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle with grated cheese and place under the broiler for 3 minutes.

Carefully transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.

Drizzle with the rest of the Lemon-Garlic Sauce and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

Serve with lemon wedges.