Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Lemon-Saffron Potatoes


The holidays are just around the corner, so I want to bring you a few "side dish" recipes that would be great for all the entertaining you'll be doing!  This dish combines three of my favorite ingredients on the planet - lemon, saffron and potatoes!  Not only is this recipe drop-dead gorgeous, with the saffron threads imbuing the potatoes with a spectacular yellow color, but it's also sure to make your taste buds sing.


Saffron, derived from the saffron crocus flower, is popular in Spain, Italy, the Middle East and my kitchen (wink!).  It's the most expensive spice by weight, but don't let that freak you out.  A little bit goes a very long way!  I always keep some stowed in my cupboard, and it's one of the main ingredients in paella (click here for my recipe), which is another one of my favorite dishes to make.

Lemon-Saffron Potatoes
Serves 4 people

4 cups small potatoes such as Yukon Gold or fingerling, chopped
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup warm water
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add the saffron threads to the warm water and allow them to soak for 5 minutes. The water should turn a beautiful yellow color. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest to the mixture and stir to combine.

In a roasting pan or other ovenproof dish, layer the potatoes and pour the lemon-saffron mixture over them. Toss with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.


Cover tightly and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and uncover. Toss the potatoes with a little more olive oil if needed and return to the oven to cook uncovered for another 20-30 minutes, or until crispy and cooked through.

Remove from the oven and check the seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

saffron, organic lemon, organic olive oil & organic Yukon Gold potatoes from Whole Foods

Music on Tap:


Dave Rawlings Machine - A Friend of a Friend

Let me bet you've never heard of Dave Rawlings!

That's because he's more known as Gillian Welch's longtime collaborator and as a producer, where he's worked with such musicians as Ryan Adams and Old Crow Medicine Show. The concept of this album originated when Rawlings and Welch were hanging out in Los Angeles and spending time with other musicians.  I had the pleasure of catching one of their shows where surprise guest Emmylou Harris took the stage with them!

On this album, Rawlings records some older songs he wrote with other musicians (Ryan Adams' "To Be Young" is one of my all time favorite songs) and some newer material, with a few covers thrown in for good measure, like another of my favorite songs, Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer."  It's a wonderful effort that really spans Rawlings' career, and finally it's been recorded.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THIS ALBUM!

2 comments:

  1. Lemon-Saffron Potatoes, yum!

    Thanks for the feedback on the cake, and let's definitely hang out soon! (BTW, I love your music on tap entries.)

    xo
    Organic Spark

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Molly!!! Let's hang out soon - maybe after the holiday madness dies down a bit?

    P.S. thanks re: the music on tap!

    xo
    Jen

    ReplyDelete