What To Do When You Cook Too Many Sweet Potatoes: Sweet Potato Oatmeal Pancakes

It's Thanksgiving morning.  Last night, the Austrian, the Pyrate, and I wrapped up our contribution to Thanksgiving Dinner.  We made two beautiful Sweet Potato Kahlua Swirl Cheesecakes, an Apple Persimmon Pie, and prepped a huge bowl of winter vegetables to be roasted this morning.   For the cheesecakes, the Pyrate peeled a heaping pile of sweet potatoes which turned out to be about double what I actually needed for the cakes.  So, this morning when we woke up, excited to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I had the great idea of making pancakes with some of the leftover mashed sweet potatoes.  And perhaps tomorrow we'll bake the rest with a pecan topping to have with leftover turkey we bring back from my Auntie Ruby's House.

This morning we got the winter vegetables in the oven, then I set about the business of making these absolutely delicious Sweet Potato Pancakes.   You can serve them up any time of year.  It doesn't take long to boil a couple of sweet potatoes and mash them, however you can also use candied yams from the can if you insist you don't have time for that step.

We whipped  these up in less than 30 minutes, and shortly we were piled into my bed in our pajamas watching the parade, plates in hand, and happy as can be.  A very nice moment.  These pancakes were such a hit in our house this morning, that we've decided to make them a Thanksgiving tradition in our house every year.  I love traditions!  So I'm excited to add this healthy sweet treat to ours! 
Serve these up with candied pecans and pure grade A maple syrup.

THE PLAYERS: (your grocery list)

Oat Flour (You'll need one cup and it's found in the same section as regular flour in the subsection where there are organic meals, and/or in the organic section of the grocery store.  Alternately, use the link above to order it online.)  Whole Wheat Flour  (Also one cup of this and it's found in the same section where regular flour is found.) Demerara Sugar (this natural sugar can be found in your baking section, turbinado is also good, but if you can't find either you can use plain granulated.  I used vanilla sugar I made by storing a used vanilla bean in an airtight container full of Demerara sugar) Baking Powder (also in baking goods section where the flour is)Nutmeg (I prefer to keep whole nutmeg nuts in an airtight jar in my spice pantry instead of the pre-ground kind.  You can find whole nutmeg in most stores, especially in international groceries and organic groceries.  When using this you simply use the fine side of a grater or a rasp to take from the nut what you need then replace the rest in the airtight container for use at another time.) Cinnamon (the ground assortment) Cloves (ground) Egg  (You'll need two large eggs) Orange Juice (pulp-free) Milk (1 cup of 2 %  reduced fat) Vegetable Oil (canola, peanut, or vegetable oil are fine...)Mashed Sweet Potatoes (You'll need 1/2 cup)

PREPARATION:

Mix all dry ingredients together:

1c oatmeal flour, 1c whole wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves

 In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients.

 2 eggs, 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup milk, 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes.
Heat your griddle, add a little peanut oil so your cakes don't stick.
Check your batter, it should pour easily from a ladle.  If it seems a bit thick, add more milk a few tablespoons at a time til it's a consistency you can pour onto your griddle, but not runny.
Pour batter onto hot griddle and spread a bit in a circular motion.  
Do not disturb your cakes until they are done on one side.  
You will know when they are done when you see air bubbles form and begin to burst on the surface, and the edges begin to look dry. 
Flip them over quickly with a griddle spatula (pancake turner).
Let them cook on the other side until brown and  the center of each cake feels slightly firm and no longer soft in the center to the touch. 
Transfer done pancakes to a dish and keep warm in an oven set at the lowest possible temperature until ready to serve.  
Serve with butter, syrup, and garnish with candied pecans. 

Mmm. Mmm. MMM.

Sunday Farmer's Market Brunch for Ten... Part Five: Almondberry Tarte

 

Potato Leek Gratin, Farmer's Market Quiche, Almond Berry Tarte, Nectarine/Plum Pound Cake, Herb Infused Breakfast Meats.  Served on vintage, hand-painted, artistan signed plates from the Tonalo region of Mexico, 1940' s green Seneca Driftwood glasses, vintage Coorsite ball pitchers, crystal cake pedestals all from my collection.  All vintage wares come from my spelunking on ebay and in flea markets for a fraction of their worth. Shall I blog about my spelunking???(Ikea flutes bought on sale for less than $1 each... I have about 50 stored away for parties.)

 I should have made two of these Almondberry Tartes because this one dissappeared faster than I could blink!

No, there is no such thing as an Almondberry, so don't bother googling it!  The berry farmer at the farmer's market was kind enough to let me sample his berries Sunday morning.  The blackberries were tart, the blueberries were mild, and the raspberries were just right.  I decided to take a basket of each of them home, not quite sure what I would do with them.  I'd also purchased a lovely little plastic container from the Almond growers, filled with naturally sweet, fresh ground almond paste.  I didn't know what I would do with that either.  But I knew that marzipan was one of the austrian's favorite things from back home.

This pie/tarte looks pretty on the table, but I must warn you that structurally, you won't be eating this in neat little wedges because it falls apart.  You'll have to serve it with a spoon.  The berries are made into a compote then layered over a cream cheese/sour cream mixture, with almond paste in the very bottom.

 

 

THE PLAYERS:  

Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries   You'll need about 6 cups total, and you can use any combination of the three, two, or one kind of berry.  Demerara Sugar  I try not to use white granulated sugar when I can avoid it.  If you can't find Demerara or Turbinado sugar, the same amount of regular granulated will work as well.  Vanilla  I used Vanilla Bean Paste which you can find in most larger Whole Foods or other gourmet shops.  You can also use the same amount of pure Vanilla Extract.  Flour Pie Crust I don't mind making my own crusts when I have the time, however, you can also get perfectly good ready made pie crusts in the refrigerator section where you find the cookie dough, biscuit, croissant doughs in those tubes.  The one I use is not frozen, and is sold in a box with two crusts ready to go into your favorite pie dish or tin.  Sour Cream 1/2 cup.  Cream Cheese  Get the spreadable kind in the tub.  You'll need 8 oz. for this recipe. Egg  You'll need one egg... farm fresh?  find them at your local farmer's market! Almond Paste You'll find this almond paste sometimes in the form of marzipan in some larger grocers, almost all middle eastern, mediterranean, or international grocers.  Or use the links above to purchase online or make your own a day or so ahead of time...

PREPARATION:

Prepare your crust by placing it in a tarte dish/pan and turning in the edges so that they don't hang over the edge of the pan. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread the almond paste into the bottom of the pie crust and press into place with your fingers and smooth and place the dish on a cookie sheet covered with foil. 

In a medium size sauce pan cook berries, 1/2 cup of water, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and a teaspoon of cinnamon over medium heat. 

While berries are cooking, make the cream cheese filling.

In a mixing bowl combine egg, cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla until well combined.  

Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the almond paste in the pie crust. 

Your berries should be cooked down and a syrup formed.  Don't over cook, you want them to be softened but not completely broken down. 

Spoon the berries over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Save extra berries and syrup for serving at the table or use at another time over pancakes or waffles.

Bake your tarte for about 40 minutes, until crust edges are nice and golden. 

Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.  

Sunday Farmer's Market Brunch for Ten... Part Four: Herb-Infused Breakfast Meats

 Potato Leek Gratin, Farmer's Market Quiche, Almondberry Tarte, Nectarine/Plum Pound Cake, Herb Infused Breakfast Meats.  Served on vintage, hand-painted, artistan signed plates from the Tonalo region of Mexico, 1940' s green Seneca Driftwood glasses, vintage Coorsite ball pitchers, crystal cake pedestals all from my collection.  All vintage wares come from my spelunking on ebay and in flea markets for a fraction of their worth. Shall I blog about my spelunking???(Ikea flutes bought on sale for less than $1 each... I have about 50 stored away for parties.)

This is a quick tip more than it is a recipe.  You can use this technique with any kind of meat you might be cooking in a pan.  You'll want a selection of fresh herbs.   You'll want to cut them up right before you add them to the pan so that the cut edges don't dry in the air and their flavor infuses with the oils in the pan and absorbs into the meat.  So, wash your herbs, set aside, get the meat into the hot pan to start cooking, then chop your herbs and add to the pan.

We used regular and spicy Jimmy Dean bulk pork sausage  that I formed into patties, uncured bacon  (surprisingly you can now find that a great number of even the larger companies that sell bacon have an uncured version, just note that it will NOT last long in the refrigerator so don't buy more than you'll use within a couple of day after opening it.), and chicken apple and habanero & green chile assortments of chicken sausages from Aidells.  While it's cooking on one side, chop your herbs and sprinkle over the top, then turn and cook for remaining time without moving it around too much so that the herbs will stick into the carmelizing meat.

That's pretty much it.

I told you it was simple.  The Austrian did this part as well for our brunch.  So you know it must be easy!

We used rosemary, thyme, and oregano.  But sage, tarragon, basil,  and marjoram are also great.

Sunday Farmer's Market Brunch for Ten... Part Three: Nectarine/Plum Pound Cake

 

 Potato Leek Gratin, Farmer's Market Quiche, Almondberry Tarte, Nectarine/Plum Pound Cake, Herb Infused Breakfast Meats.  Served on vintage, hand-painted, artistan signed plates from the Tonalo region of Mexico, 1940' s green Seneca Driftwood glasses, vintage Coorsite ball pitchers, crystal cake pedestals all from my collection.  All vintage wares come from my spelunking on ebay and in flea markets for a fraction of their worth. Shall I blog about my spelunking???(Ikea flutes bought on sale for less than $1 each... I have about 50 stored away for parties.)

 

Sorry there's not a better picture of this delicious treat!  That's an improvement I'm working on!

I am so proud of this off-the-cuff throw-in that I came up with for our brunch!  Be sure to cursor over the little book icons here for additional tidbits and treasures...
This is another improvisation based on what was available at the farmer's market on Sunday morning.  There was one farmer who had dried fruits, both sulfured and unsulfured.  Beautiful  Nectarine halves and Plum halves.  You can use pretty much whatever fresh dried drupe (stone) fruit you want.  I recommend unsulfured  if you're buying from a farmer for several reasons. Sulfur is used on dried fruits to preserve color and allegedly nutrients.  But it changes the flavor and aroma of the fruit and to my experience gives it a faint bitter aftertaste.   If you're buying it fresh from the farmer they should have some unsulfured on hand.  This will not last long, so just get as much as you need and use it up within a week.  As for color preservation, I don't particularly think that's as important as flavor, and some of the color will come back when you reconstitute the fruit for this recipe.  There are different grades of dried fruit ranging from extra fancy to standard.  The higher grades are what you want for this, if you can find them.  What you get at a farmers market will be fancy to extra fancy typically, which have more moisture and depth of sweetness and flavor.  In your supermarket or grocery store, read the packaging, usually it will tell you the grade.  Otherwise just look for moist, flexible dried fruit.

You can also improvise with what kind of cake batter you use.  Any dense and moist loaf cake or  muffin batter will work.  For this recipe we use a standard pound cake recipe.  You can even make the cake batter from a box mix if you're in a serious hurry.  But pound cake batter is very simple... couldn't be simpler.  In fact I commissioned the Austrian to make the batter for me while I was whipping up some other thing for the brunch.   Pound cake was originally made with a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.  It has evolved from there...

Alright so here it is!!

THE PLAYERS: (your grocery list)

 Unsalted Butter you'll need one cup of butter for this recipe.  I don't use salted butter when I cook.  I want to have the most control over salt intake as possible.  Eggs As you know, I'm going to tell you I love brown eggs from the farmer's market!  All-Purpose Flour You'll need 2 cups of this.  I like to get the unbleached sort because it makes me feel like I'm a little closer to nature.  :) Baking Powder  While researching ingredients for this recipe, I learned that this is a combination of baking soda, an acid (such as cream of tartar) and a moisture absorber (such as cornstarch).  This is info I'll keep in mind should I be making something that requires baking powder and I'm out.  If I've got cream of tartar, baking soda, and cornstarch I'm straight!  Demerara Sugar 1 cup will be used in this recipe.  You can use regular white sugar, but I prefer to use  healthier Demerara or Turbinado raw, steam-cleaned sugars in recipes that call for granulated sugar. You'll find this in most larger grocery stores, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, etc... You can also subtitute other sweeteners but you'll have to experiment around with them to get the flavor and moisture content right... Vanilla You'll need 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract, or the inside of one vanilla bean scraped into your batter bowl.  But DON'T TOSS THE POD!  Get yourself a jar or airtight, container  and put the used vanilla bean pod inside and fill with sugar.  In about a week this Vanilla Sugar can be used in all kinds of recipes for intensified vanilla flavor.   Dried Fruit  2 cups are needed for this recipe.  I used 1 cup of Nectarines, and 1 cup of Plums.  See my notes above regarding grades and assortments that work. Rum  Even though we have a great deal of rum in our liquor cabinet, most of it we didn't buy.  People bring alcohol as hostess gifts when they come.  Sometimes they bring rum.  If you must use a readily available famous brand get the best they sell.  Yes, even to cook with.  It will make a world of difference.  I try to always keep some Bajan  rum in my cabinet.  My favorite that's readily available in better grocers and liquor stores, is Mount Gay Rum.

PREPARATION:

Take butter and eggs out of the refrigerator at least 2 hours before you're ready to start so they come down to room temperature. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a medium sized saucepan put dried fruit and 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 of brandy or rum, and put on stove on medium heat to reconstitute. 

In a mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds (til fluffy)

Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla together into butter .

Check your fruit on the stove and stir.  It should be absorbing the water, and becoming rehydrated.

Mix flour and baking powder together.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture with mixer on medium speed.

Turn off the fruit. 

Coat the inside of 9x13 inch baking pan or casserole dish with spray Canola oil (or put some oil on a paper towel and wipe entire interior surface of pan)

Pour half of your cake batter into pan/dish.

With a slotted spoon, spread all of your reconstituted fruit in a layer over the batter, leaving the leftover juices behind in the pan. 

Pour other half of your cake batter over the fruit and spread around.  Don't worry if some of the fruit shows through.  This is a rustic cake and that will be just fine.  

Put into your preheated oven and bake until cake is firm to the touch in the center and golden brown.  About 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes then cut into large rectangular pieces, serve warm or room temperature.

You can substitute any of the following fresh fruit for the dried fruit in this recipe:

Pineapples, Peaches, Apricots, Mango, Tangerine.   Simply use them in slices... no pre-cooking needed.

Sunday Farmer's Market Brunch for Ten... Part Two: Farmer's Market Quiche

 Potato Leek Gratin, Farmer's Market Quiche, Almondberry Tarte, Nectarine/Plum Pound Cake, Herb Infused Breakfast Meats.  Served on vintage, hand-painted, artistan signed plates from the Tonalo region of Mexico, 1940' s green Seneca Driftwood glasses, vintage Coorsite ball pitchers, crystal cake pedestals all from my collection.  All vintage wares come from my spelunking on ebay and in flea markets for a fraction of their worth. Shall I blog about my spelunking???(Ikea flutes bought on sale for less than $1 each... I have about 50 stored away for parties.)

 

This is the second of a five part blog mini-series about the brunch I hosted for my sister and her friends this past Sunday.   The other recipes will all be posted today as soon as I can get them each written.   Where you see the little book icons, you can scroll over the book and a window will pop up with additional info about ingredients or techniques or tools and such. 

My Farmer's Market Quiche is a great alternative to normal scrambled eggs.  Especially if you're like me... finicky about eggs.  I don't like them poached, runny, sunny side up, easy over, or anything like that.  I like them well beaten, well boiled, well cooked, and well seasoned.  This is a very simple recipe that can be pimped easily once you learn the basic structure of this thing called a Quiche... basically it's a savory egg tarte, made with beaten eggs, veggies, cheese, and if you want, meats, and all ingredients except for the crust and the eggs are optional and interchangeable.  If you do as I've always suggested and read through the entire recipe completely prior to even shopping for ingredients, you will be able to make this recipe happen in about 40 minutes, including baking. 

THE PLAYERS: (your grocery list)

The quantities listed are for one Quiche.  In my estimation, the perfect Quiche has certain variables always... a flaky flour pie crust.  You can make your own, or, for time economy, like I did, just buy it in the grocery store.   The ones in the refrigerated section where you find those biscuits and croissants in a tube, ready to bake are much much better than the ones in the freezer section... Pilsbury makes a pie crust that comes in rolled circles without the pans.  I have my own pie and tarte dishes so, this is better for my purposes... about 8 farm fresh eggs(that's means what, class?  that's right! farmer's market!!!). I prefer large brown... As for the veggies I use 1/4 cup of diced ingredients from each of the following categories: and as for specific ingredients, it depends on my mood, and what I find in the farmer's market that week, and what flavor profile I want, mexican, french, italian, etc....  Some sort of diced onion, brown, red, green, shallot, leek, etc... for this particular recipe, I used Vidalia onions for their savory sweetness.   Some sort of peppers... green, red, yellow, sweet italian, pepperoncini, jalapeno, chipotle, etc... I used 1/2 red bellpepper and 1/2 yellow bellpepper per Quiche.  Some sort of herbs... thyme, oregano, basil, sage, etc... In this one I used fresh oregano, thyme, and rosemary to compliment the herbs I used in the other dishes for this meal.  Some sort of coarsely chopped greens... spinach, kale, bok choy, cilantro, etc... For this one I used sweet pea greens, which you may not find... use spinach if your farmer's market doesn't have them.   Some sort of semi-hard cheese... parmesan, aged gouda, romano, manchego, asiago, cheddar, etc... I used 1/2 cup of shredded Emmentaler cheese.  Optionally, you can also add 1/4 cup per Quiche... diced and previously sauteed meat of some sort... salmon, bacon, shrimp, ham, ground chicken, crab, lobster, turkey... pretty much any protein you like can work if paired with the right accompanying components above... I used 1/4 cup of diced and sauteed Canadian bacon for  two of our Quiches, and I left the third Quiche completely meat free.  That's everything I used for our Quiches on Sunday.  But you can add mushrooms, asparagus, marinated artichokes, broccoli, peas, to your sauteed veggies, and pretty much anything you like.  It's also a great way to use leftovers that aren't enough to make a whole new meal.  But for this particular time, just try it my way before  you try to experiment.

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees if it's not already on from putting the potatoes in.

Dice your ingredients.  

Saute all of your vegetables (and meat) except for the greens in a pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, over medium high heat just until onions become transparent.

Prepare the pie crust.  Place it in pie tin or dish and create a scalloped or crimped edge. As you can see, from my photos, it doesn't have to be flawless to look beautiful.  The imperfection of your work will add a rustic look to the end result.  (and it won't make a darn bit of difference to the way it tastes!!)

Place your sauteed veggies (and diced meat) in the pie crust and spread to cover the bottom. 

Spread your fresh chopped greens over the top of that. 

Then your fresh herbs. 

Then 1/2 of your cheese. 

In a separate bowl, vigorously beat your eggs with a whisk until whites and yolks are completely combined. 

Add 1/4 cup of milk to the eggs and whisk again just until combined.

Pour egg mixture over the ingredients layered in your pie crust. 

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Grind a bit of black pepper and sea salt over that. 

Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes, then check for doneness.  

Quiche should be golden on top and fluffy but firm, crust should be just golden.  Keep an eye on this, and if the crust looks like it's done but the egg part seems to not be done, use a strip of foil to to wrap around the crust edge to prevent it from burning.  

Serve hot or at room temperature.  

 

 

Sunday Farmer's Market Brunch for Ten... Part One: Potato Leek Gratin

Happy Monday Everyone!!!

Let me preface anything I compose here with the following statement, I am not 100% myself today.  The Brig you all know is missing at least half of her energy.  I may ramble more than usual.  (you know I know how to ramble...)  It was a fantastic weekend.  Lots of consciousness altering spaces, and I'm not talking about the pharmaceutical sort.

One of the spaces I found myself in was a room of a couple hundred really smart people gathered for a conference to discuss the advancements made by the Human Genome Project that will effect something called the Medicalization of Race.  I took the Austrian and the Pyrate to this and it was an experience that for sure has imprinted some new data upon each of our individual consciences.   More about that another time.  I want to do a little research so I know a little better what I'm talking about.

My sister was also in town from Friday til Sunday night.  She lives in D.C. so we don't get to see each other much these days.  To have her home for a couple of days was definitely a treat.

 Potato Leek Gratin, Farmer's Market Quiche, Almondberry Tarte, Nectarine/Plum Pound Cake, Herb Infused Breakfast Meats.  Served on vintage, hand-painted, artistan signed plates from the Tonalo region of Mexico, 1940' s green Seneca Driftwood glasses, vintage Coorsite ball pitchers, crystal cake pedestals all from my collection.  All vintage wares come from my spelunking on ebay and in flea markets for a fraction of their worth. Shall I blog about my spelunking???(Ikea flutes bought on sale for less than $1 each... I have about 50 stored away for parties.)

On Sunday I invited some of  my sister's  best girlfriends (who have treated me just as much like a sister, as they treat my sister) over to my house for brunch.

The Austrian and I got up early for our Sunday morning trip to the farmers market.   I know I'm repeating myself but every single time we go there, my love of the experience is validated.  The perfume of the fresh cut herbs, the resplendant hues of sun-ripened fruits and vegetables.  Shaking the hand of the farmer who grew that bounty of color and flavor.  Having them look me in the eye and proclaim their goods are hormone, pesticide, herbicide, and wax free!   I enjoy that place so much.

This week I went looking for a farmer who always has delicious Italian sweet peppers in every color and size.  There were none.  They are out of season.  Something you will seldom hear in a supermarket in America.  Mass producing farms will produce almost anything year round and do all kinds of obscene things to force grow foods that should not in a natural world be growing during certain times of the year, or you'll find little stickers on the food that says it came from half way around the world, picked long before the sun was finished doing its work, coated for travel with waxy protective mediums that do not digest well in the human body.

Anyway, there were no Italian sweet peppers, I let out a disappointed moan, then let it go and snooped around his long tables full of other earthly treasures.   I came upon some cool stuff I'd never seen before such as Chinese Sweet Pea Greens... something you will probably NEVER see in a grocery store.  In fact the farmer selling them claimed he is the only one selling them in California, and will only have them for about a month.  As I was asking the farmer about their flavor and use, a little old Chinese woman leaned towards me, with her giant sunglasses and her visor cap, and kindly gave me a couple of easy recipes that she uses to cook them and told me about the regions of China where they are typically found in the cuisine.  Pea Greens are used in the same way other greens like kale or spinach are used.   Usually cooked quickly, and can be exchanged in recipes that call for any other greens.

The farmer gave me a leaf to taste. (because the crops are chemical free, that's something you can do... ) The little old lady beamed in anticipation of my reaction and when I expressed approval of the flavor, she clapped happily and patted me on the back and told me to take some home before they are gone!  Call me corny, but I love that.  It's not just about eating it's about feeling.  I bought two bunches and used them to make a quiche that was met with ooh's and aah's and moans of gastronomic pleasure... beneath it all, boosting the health of those consuming it without them having to think about it...without them having to comprimise pleasure.

I love that experience of absorption that happens so often at the farmer's market... where people are not only friendly, but happy to share, to help each other broaden their horizons.  Imagine that.  Broadening your horizons by simplifying the one thing you definitely do everyday without fail, if you are able.  You eat.  It's about narrowing the distance between the earth your food was produced in and your mouth, while simultaneously spreading your mind wide open so that you might find new dynamic ways of thinking about the pleasure of eating  and food's  influence over your health and nutrition. 
Some think that affluence is about being able to buy expensive cuts of meat in the grocer, and shopping at stores like Whole Foods and Gelson's.  It's not necessarily about how much you eat.  It's not even about being able to eat out at restaurants more.   However most affluent people I know, in fact, most non-American people I know would very much rather shop at a farmer's market, get high quality super-fresh food and learn how to prepare a meal fit for a king!

In addition to the Sweet Pea Greens, I got Red Potatoes, Red and Yellow Peppers, Eggs from a chicken farmer, Canadian Bacon from the German style Sausage peddler, 3 kinds of berries from the berry farmer, almond paste from the almond grower, dried unsulfured nectarines and tangerines, and pluot jam!  mmm. mmm. MMM.


Now, I know I've gone too far off on a tangent, so...
FORK IN THE ROAD:

Farmer's market treasures collaborate to make a knockout brunch for people you really dig!

Sunday brunch was almost exclusively brought to you and my house guests by way of the Santa Clarita Farmer's Market.  Below you'll find the first of five recipes.  The rest of the recipes will have their own post.  They'll be up today, I promise... Be patient!
 
Prepare this feast for your family or friends, and they will recognize the hidden ingredient is LOVE.
 POTATO LEEK GRATIN A LA BRIG

This is so easy and so undeniably delicious, you will want to eat the entire thing yourself.  But don't.  Save room for a little of everything from this delicious spread!  I should have said this to my brunch guests because they really did go through this dish like nobody's business!  
This takes about 10 minutes to put together and about 30 minutes in the oven.  That's it.  

THE PLAYERS  (your grocery list)
8 Large Red Potatoes  (where to find them??? anywhere!  but you know what I'm going to say here: FARMER'S MARKET-FARMER'S MARKET!!!) Extra Virgin Olive Oil (first press) 1 Leek (these cousins to the onion can be found everywhere produce is sold, be sure to separate and wash the layers well because they usually hold a lot of mud and dirt for the earth they have been plucked from) Fresh Herbs (this is flexible, but we used rosemary and oregano, you can also use dill, thyme, tarragon or most other herbs in whatever combination you like. you'll need about 1/4 cup chopped of each of two varieties or 1/2 cup total combined herbs)

Gruyere Cheese (this is a Swiss cheese that goes unbelievably well with potatoes and eggs.  remember that for your mental flavor pallete.  find it in any fine deli section where imported cheeses are sold.) Broth  (We used chicken broth, but you can use vegetable broth and it will be be very good as well, but be sure that either way you get organic and low sodium broth or stock)


PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Slice your potatoes in 1/8th inch slices and set aside. 
Peel back the green stalks on the leek to reveal the muddy sediment and wash your leek well and remove roots from end, and cut off wilted green ends of the stalk.
Slice your leek into thin slices, the entire thing and set aside.
Grate your Gruyer.  You'll need about 10 ounces (about 1 1/2 cup shredded) of cheese.  
Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the bottom of a square ceramic baking dish. 
Layer potatoes in the bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle about 1/4 of the cheese over the potatoes. 
Add your sliced leek in a layer.

Add another layer of potatoes. 
Add another 1/4 of the cheese. 
Now add all of the chopped herbs.
Add a final layer of remaining potatoes.
Drizzle with olive oil. 
Grind some fresh black pepper over the top. 
Pour just enough broth over the entire surface so the cheese is moistened, and so that the broth almost comes up to the top layer of potatoes. 
Put this in the oven to bake for 30 minutes and then check. 
The surface should be golden and bubbly, and the potatoes should be tender when you pierce them with a fork.  If they need a little longer don't fret, leave them in and check again in 5 minutes.

Serve hot.