Tis the season to be drowning in produce, fa la la la la, la la la la.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
This week we had baby potatoes in our CSA and at the farmers market we scored with some MONGO scallions. They were so big that I had a difficult time envisioning what to make with them. So I braised a few and threw some into a stir-fry.
And then I made them into a big breakfast on Sunday morning. I could have eaten the whole batch myself. In fact, I could have eaten them for lunch and dinner too. They were incredibly addictive. And the scallions gave them a freshness (and bite) that’s normally missing in homefries.
If you have some beautiful and large scallions that you want to play with this summer, give these guys a shot. I’m pretty sure you’re going to love them.
(Just so you can picture how large these scallions are, I placed them next to kitchen twine and a 50 cent piece.)
Spicy Farmers Market Homefries and Scallions
Serves 2.
Homefries Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces
1½ tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of chipotle powder*
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 very large scallion (white and green parts) chopped on the bias (substitute 2½ regular scallions or ¼ of an onion if you can’t get your hands on the large ones)
Salsa Ingredients:
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
¼ of a small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons of cilantro
1 tablespoon of pickled jalapenos
1 tablespoon of pickled jalapeno juice
¼ cup of diced yellow bell pepper
1 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of cumin
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the potatoes on a large, rimmed sheet pan. Add the olive oil, chili powder, paprika, chipotle powder, salt and pepper to the pan. Stir the potatoes well to coat. Flip the potatoes after 20 minutes and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are browned. When the potatoes are done, turn the oven off and add the scallions. Stir well to combine with the oil and spices in the pan. Let the pan sit in the oven for 3 minutes to wilt and soften the scallions.
While the potatoes roast, make the salsa by combining all of the ingredients in a blender. (Or use your own favorite salsa or hot sauce. This one just happens to be my favorite recipe.)
*If you don’t have chipotle powder, combine ½ teaspoon of paprika with ½ teaspoon of cayenne.
(Photos by Launie Kettler)