Now you may be reading this and thinking, "why is she so stressed out over a club that's supposed to be fun?" The answer is, I really don't know. It's ridiculous, however the real issue is that I do enjoy it because it's a creative challenge, in the kitchen, yes, but also the blog component. How can I make a lump of dough look interesting? And sometimes more difficult, what interesting point can I make about a lump of dough? Being challenged is important to me and maybe I'm a masochist, but I'm never bored! In fact, I'm trying to figure out a way to not need sleep. Imagine what could be done if we didn't need downtime? Can you tell I'm suffering a severe deficit right now?
Anyway, with eyes burning, and close to a years worth of FFWD recipes completed, I give you, Broth-Braised Potatoes. I actually made these once before and I highly recommend them. I love little boiled potatoes and often in the summer we'll make a meal of sliced tomatoes, corn and steamed & salted potatoes. Add good rye bread and it's heaven. On a rainy winter evening these were a welcome accompaniment to our super-quick after dance night dinner. I was given another challenge of making egg sandwiches too. My daughter was given a choice between pancakes or fish and she went for secret option number three; egg sandwiches. Timing the eggs to be done but not overdone was tricky, but I managed to pull it off. I put the eggs down just as I heard the garage door open and then by the time they were ready to sit down, the eggs were done.
So the eggs & potatoes were joined with turkey bacon - Applegate Farms and I swear I thought I was going to have a mutiny on my hands but we all really liked it, though I thought it looked terrible - and that's pretty much it. No other vegetable or fruit. Just lots of starchy goodness! Boiling the potatoes in a broth well seasoned with garlic, herbs, and lemon is a fabulous way to flavor what could be bland potatoes. The ones I got weren't organic, very unusual for me, but they were nice little fingerling potatoes. Perfect for this preparation.
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| garlic & herbs, awaiting the broth |
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| egg & potato face |
14 comments:
We love the flavors in this recipe...these potatoes are so good. I could eat them without a meal.
I often think that cooking the FFwD recipes each week is the easiest part of the whole project. For me the pictures are definitely the bigger challenge. Some of the recipes are nice and photogenic, but so many, this week's recipe included, just are not. However, through this process I have learned quite a bit about food photography, namely that quite often the pictures in cook books are not food at all! Makes me feel a little better about my own pictures, which are always of real food.
I like the sound of your summer salad featuring these poatoes - it sounds simple and good.
Breakfast sandwiches... what's not to love! I'm glad these were a hit for you.
You are NOT alone in your FF stress! I've found the food to be the easiest part of this process. Since starting this project the photography has become as important to me as the recipe and I obsess and cuss and there could have been tears:)
That's a cute egg & potato face!
Writing the posts is always the most stressful part. I get very anxious when the words don't come to me like I want them to...
It's been a fun process and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Oh, you're definitely not alone about the stress of getting the post done. If I can't do the recipe the weekend before the Friday it's due, it doesn't get done (like this one). I'm just not organized enough to shop, cook, photograph, and write on a weeknight! :)
You are spot on - writing the post is more stressful than actually cooking! It's a fun challenge on both ends, and how do you make that lump of dough look appealing enough for someone to try. The FFWD is such a fun and inspirational group - I have learned so much the last year.
I'm always a little worried about the photography when the book doesn't have a picture. Dorie definitely knew which ones weren't photogenic, didn't she? I love breakfast for dinner, and those egg sandwiches sound like a good choice, even if they were the secret option.
Thanks for your comments, everyone. I think we should consider ourselves super-women with all we do, especially hearing Karen list the steps; shop, cook, photograph, write. We should all be proud. I don't think I've ever made this many recipes from one cookbook before. And I don't regret any of it! And certainly not the great FFWD community.
I totally get your point of view - this is so much fun, but I get stressed too! Unfortunately, I'm not good at either the "last minute", or "week ahead" strategy. Oh well. I think the other thing that is tough with these recipes is that there's a lot in the color family of white to tan... :)
I like your idea of potatoes in a salad... mmmm Indonesian Gado Gado come to mind, though... now you have me thinking! Thanks!!!
Looks yummy! This was my first time having boiled potatoes (that weren't mashed) and I was shocked at how much I enjoyed them.
I agree with you that the menu planning and creative aspect for FFwD are what keep me coming back every week! It's always fun to see how to make a humble dish like boiled potatoes interesting. Not just to eat, but to cook, and to write about. The sandwich option looks great!
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