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Lemon roasted potatoes
One of the most overlooked ingredients in our pantries may just be the humble lemon. A tangy squirt of lemon (or its cousin the lime, which I use almost interchangeably) can wake up the flavors in just about any dish, sweet or savory, as effectively as a dash of salt. In fact, although I've got nothing against sodium chloride, a dose of mouth-watering citrus can supplement or even replace the familiar salt shaker. (Try rubbing a wedge of lime along your next corn on the cob for a surprising revelation.) But how often do you think about using lemon as a significant ingredient in a dish? The online community in our interactive Food Lovers' Discussion Group gets more inspiration along these lines than your average home chef, thanks to the presence in our group of an enthusiastic advocate of the lemon. Bill Spencer, who grows lemons commercially on his Arizona ranch, is a ready source of lemon-related recipes and information, and we're in his debt for today's featured dish, in which lemon and herb flavors elevate simple roasted potatoes to a new level. Bill adapted his version from a recipe from The Moosewood Collective, "New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant." I've tweaked it a little further, and of course you're invited to do the same! INGREDIENTS: (Serves two as a main dish or four as a side dish)
1 1/2 pounds small red or white new potatoes 1. Preheat oven to 425 F. While it's heating, scrub the potatoes and cut the larger ones in half or quarters. (Small pieces allow plenty of surface, both to absorb the lemon, oil and herb flavors and to provide crisp, roasted edge bits.) 2. Mince the garlic and chop the oregano or other fresh herbs fine. In a small bowl or cup, mix the olive oil and lemon juice; stir in the minced garlic, salt and pepper and a generous amount of chopped fresh herbs to taste. CAUTION: Lemons vary widely in the amount of juice they produce and their acidity. All our forum participants who've made this dish have loved it, but some reported that the finished product can be quite tangy. I suggest tasting the olive-lemon mix as you go, and add a little more oil, or white wine, if it seems more sour than you think you'll like. 3. Toss the potato pieces with the oil-and-lemon mixture until they're coated well, and place them in a baking dish large enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. Cover the dish tightly with foil and put it in the oven to roast for 20 minutes. 4. After 20 minutes, carefully remove the foil and turn the potatoes gently with a spatula. Roast 10 more minutes uncovered, turn the potatoes again, and continue roasting for another 10 minutes or so or until the ptoatoes are tender and golden brown. Crumble the feta cheese, sprinkle over the top, and serve hot. This dish is hearty enough to serve as a meatless main course, but as Bill points out, it's especially good with grilled fish, where the lemon makes a natural match, or for that matter with any grilled meat or chicken.
MATCHING WINE: As noted, this dish can be quite tangy, enough to pose a challenge for wine matching. If you're serving it as your main course, take care to hold the lemony acidity in perspective, as noted above. As a main course, I would serve it with a crisp white wine - a Sauvignon Blanc on the dry side or perhaps a Spanish Albarino. If you're serving it as a side dish, match your wine to the main course and let the potatoes come along for the ride. Here's a link to Bill's version of this recipe in our online forum:
• Lemon roasted potatoes And here are links to a variety of other tasty lemon dishes that he has contributed:
• Lemon tarragon chicken
• Grilled lemon sage chicken
• Lemon finadine sauce
• Lemon linguine
• Fresh lemon pasta
• Lemon marmalade
• Lemon curd
• Lemon dessert sauce
• Lemon "Delicious," a simple, "scrumptious" lemon dessert:
Discuss this recipe in our online forum: Let us hear from you! If you have suggestions or comments about The 30 Second Wine Advisor's FoodLetter, or if you would like to suggest a topic for a coming edition and recipe, please drop me a note at wine@wineloverspage.com. I really enjoy hearing from you, and I try to give a personal reply to all mail if I possibly can.
Of course you also have a standing invitation to participate in our interactive Food Lovers' Discussion Group. To participate in this friendly online community, simply click to Last Week's FoodLetter and Archives
• Last week's Wine Advisor Foodletter: Salmon and pasta (again) (Sept. 11)
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
• 30 Second Wine Advisor archive: This is The 30 Second Wine Advisor's weekly FoodLetter. To subscribe or unsubscribe, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. Thursday, Sept. 18, 2003Copyright 2003 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved. FoodLetter archives Subscribe to the 30 Second Wine Advisor
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