Moo's Piquant Lemon Potatoes

Get everyone to love vegetables. This recipe is guaranteed to do it. Palate pleasing vegetables every time.

2 pounds red potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 1/2 T fresh basil, finely chopped
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Peel potatoes and slice thickly. Parboil potatoes in lightly salted water for 5-10 minutes. Potatoes should still be slightly uncooked and firm. Drain. While potatoes are cooking, combine butter, sugar, lemon juice and basil. Heat slowly, stirring until butter is melted and resulting in a a bubbly syrup. Add drained potatoes to syrup and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are richly glazed. Spoon syrup over potatoes often during the cooking period. Serve with a sprinkle of lemon rind. This recipe works equally well with green beans, peas, asparagus, beets or broccoli.

Moo's Colcannon

Okay Bruce, this one is for you! I know you love it. If you don't know what colcannon is...it's an Irish favorite with mashed potatoes and cabbage. It certainly qualifies as vegetarian, but you can make it vegan by using soy milk and a non-dairy butter like Earth Balance or Smart Balance.

1-1/2 cups water
3/4 pounds cabbage, cored and shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 pound boiling potatoes, scrubbed
1-1/4 cups milk, scalded
1 T onion, minced
cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste
In a saucepan, combine water, cabbage and salt. Bring the water to a boil over moderately high heat and cook the cabbage, stirring until the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and cover pan loosely.

In a large saucepan, combine potatoes with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Drain and shake dry over high heat for a few seconds. Cool. Peel the potatoes and puree while warm. Beat in scaled milk, cabbage, onion, salt and peppers to taste. Heat over low heat, adding more milk, if necessary, to achieve the desired consistency. Heat until hot. Mound into a warm serving dish. Make a depression in center and add 1/2 stick softened butter. Let begin to melt and serve hot.

Day Ahead Potatoes

Although you have to begin making this the day before, it is a fast and easy side dish. I guarantee your guests will love it. I give this 5 palate pleaser stars.

12 potatoes, peeled
1 pint whipping cream, unwhipped
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Boil potatoes the day before your dinner. Refrigerate over night. This will firm the potatoes up a bit and make them easier to grate. So grate potatoes on the day of the party and lightly layer into a casserole seasoning throughout with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Drizzle whipping cream over the potatoes. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 12

Asian Mashed Potatoes

Here's something a little out of the ordinary. Give your mashed potatoes a little Asian zing for a real palate pleaser.
1 lb. potatoes
1 t. salt
2 T rice vinegar
2 t. oil
3 T cilantro, chopped
3 T green onions, chopped
1 T toasted sesame seeds

Peel potatoes and quarter if particularly large. Boil in salted (1 t.) water until soft and ready for mashing. Pour off most of the water, reserving some for adding moisture as you begin the mashing. Note that is no milk added to these potatoes so reserve enough of your potato water. Begin mashing, add rice vinegar and oil first so you can judge your use of the reserve potato water as you go along. Shortly before potatoes reach the right consistency, add cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy.

Moo's Cold Cucumber Soup

This soup is easy to prepare and makes for a cool, summer treat. But because the flavors need to mature, you do have to plan ahead and keep overnight before serving. For a change of flavor (to spice things up a bit) you can add cilantro and when serving put a dot of Asian Chili Paste with Garlic or Black Bean with Garlic Sauce on top.

1 1/2 quarts broth, either chicken or vegetable
1 1/2 cups potato, pared, diced
2 cups cucumber, pared, seeded and sliced thin
1 cup fresh leeks (white part only), chopped fine
Cucumber and fresh dill for garnish

Boil potato in about half the chicken broth--until soft. Sauté cucumber slices and chopped leeks in butter until soft but not brown. Add potato and broth as well as the remaining broth to the cucumbers and leeks and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Pour cooled ingredients into food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside, cover and chill overnight. To serve, pour into chilled bowls and garnish with thin slices of cucumber and chopped dill.

Moo's Potato Salad

There are certain recipes that are as individualistic as the family, region or nationality that cooks them. Potato salad definitely falls into this classification. Moo was so devoted to her own potato salad that she wouldn't even try anyone else's. I have to admit that I'm a fan of hers too...but then it is what I grew up on. Give it a try and let me know if this is a palate pleaser for you too.

4 large potatoes peeled and cooked in boiled salted water till tender but not mushy
When cool, cut into bite-size chunks
Hard boil 6-8 eggs, cool and chop in bite-size chunks
Finely chop at least 1 large onion
Add1-1 ½ T celery seed
Bind with Miracle Whip and mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Let sit overnight. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Serves 8.