Christmas Potato Salad with Dill, Capers & Pickles

Christmas Potato Salad with Dill, Capers & Pickles

One quantity is enough for family of 5 as a large side. Double the dressing and 1.5 x the potatoes makes about 15 portions as a small side for a buffet.

Ingredients:

2 small orange sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1.5cm cubes

Olive oil to toss

6 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2cm cubes

6 rashers bacon, chopped

Dressing:

125g mayonnaise

100g light sour cream

¾ cup (120g) gherkins, finely chopped (or dill cucumbers)

1.5 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons baby capers (or large capers, chopped)

Black pepper

1. Toss the sweet potato in olive oil and bake at 150 degrees fan forced until golden and starting to brown. Set aside to cool.
2. Cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to the boil, cook until tender, drain and allow to cool.
3. Cook the bacon in a pan with a little olive oil, until as crisp as you like, drain on paper towel and cool.
4. Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl, then gently mix with the cooled potatoes and place in serving bowl. Sprinkle bacon over the top and serve.

Can prepare the day before but the textures are nicest when it hasn’t been chilled for too long and is mixed just before serving. Either way it is pretty delish! D's favourite holiday food.

Roast Leek, Garlic and Potato Soup

The plan was to make roast leek and celeraic soup, but somehow celeraic was unavailable in all the places I searched. Maybe because it's an autumn vegetable and even though our weather is decidedly autumn-like here on the mountain right now, it is in fact summer...

The leeks and garlic were roasted last night while the oven was on for roast lamb. I did a tray of roast pumpkin for the freezer as well - very handy to have in store and we are about to overflow with pumpkins from the garden.

So, this is what was mixed up and it's pretty good :

~Roast Leek, Garlic and Potato Soup~
3 leeks
1 head garlic
olive oil
1kg potatoes
7 cups stock - chicken/vegetable
1 cup cream
parmesan and black pepper to serve

Split white part of leeks lengthwise, wash if needed, then chop into 5cm lengths. Place in tray with unpeeled garlic bulb and drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 200 degrees until they are roasted looking. Leave the garlic in for longer if needed. It needs to be soft.

Place leeks and garlic pulp (squeeze out cloves) in a heavy based saucepan with stock and peeled, roughly chopped potatoes. Bring to the boil and simmer until the potatoes can be squashed easily with a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Whizz with a stick blender to puree, then stir through cream.

Serve with finely grated fresh parmesan and lots of black pepper.