Baby Potato Zucchini Casserole

Baby Potato & Zucchini Casserole

I've just returned from San Francisco, where I spent the weekend at Cavallo Point celebrating my one year wedding anniversary, enjoying the Fleet Week air show, and dining at Picco, my brother's fabulous restaurant. We had two amazing meals there, and even got to meet Chef Bruce Hill, who I absolutely adored.

Not only is the restaurant busier than ever (it was packed both nights we were there), but the menu just keeps getting better, if that's even possible. It's worth the trip over the bridge for the risotto alone, which is made fresh on the half hour, and which many people believe to be the best in the city, if not the country.

I was sad to leave SF, but all good things must come to an end...

But getting away really does wonders for you. In a way, it reboots your brain, clearing out all the cobwebs, letting you return refreshed and ready to dive back into your life with a clearer perspective. I'm spending today catching up with myself--blogging, cleaning up, unpacking, grocery shopping, etc.

And tomorrow, I'll get back to my two favorite things: cooking and writing!

But in the meantime, I thought I'd leave you with a great recipe for Baby Potato & Zucchini Casserole. The other week, I received samples of baby potatoes from The Little Potato Company (available at Ralphs and other stores).

There are few things I love more than little potatoes.

For this recipe, I used a package of their Terrific Trio, a delightful combination of yellow, red, and purple baby potatoes. I love the different colors, which bring a whimsical flair to any recipe.

I paired them with zucchini, making them into a simple casserole by layering them over caramelized onions cooked with thyme.

The finishing touch? A sprinkling of parmesan reggiano over the top. This recipe looks great served out of the roasting pan on the table, and is the perfect side dish for any lunch or dinner.

Baby Potato & Zucchini Casserole
Serves 4-6 people
Cooking time: about 60 minutes
Vegetarian; gluten-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby potatoes, thinly sliced
• 5 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup parmesan reggiano, grated
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a dutch oven or other oven proof pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Stir in the thyme and remove from heat. Note: if you don't have a roasting pan that can go on the stovetop, this step may be done on the stove top and then poured into an oven-proof dish.
3. Layer the zucchini and potato slices over the onion mixture, alternating a row of potatoes overlapped by a row of zucchini (see picture). 
4. Once the pan is full, drizzle the potatoes and zucchini with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cover the dish and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. 
6. Once thirty minutes have elapsed, remove the cover and roast for an additional 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
7.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the parmesan. Then, return to the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
8. Serve family style straight out of the roasting pan for a beautiful side dish to any meal. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• Terrific Trio of baby potatoes from The Little Potato Company
• organic zucchini, organic onions, parmesan reggiano, and extra virgin olive oil from Trader Joe's
• onions and thyme from the West Hollywood Farmers Market

Disclaimer: I received free samples of potatoes, however the opinions expressed here are my own.

Summer Succotash with Purple Spring Onions & Baby Squash

Happy Monday Divas! Yesterday, I hit up the Hollywood Farmers Market and scored and incredible bounty of food, everything from Santa Barbara black shrimp, to Bison short ribs, to organic wax beans in three colors, to organic heirloom bell peppers! I have some fabulous recipes planned this week, including Zinfandel braised bison short ribs, which I'll be begin marinading tomorrow so that can soak for 24 to 36 hours before braising. But in the meantime, I thought I'd share a quick side dish that I threw together using ingredients easily found at the Farmers Market this time of year! This is also a vegetarian dish for all your veggie lovers out there.

Now, a succotash is traditionally made with corn and shell beans or lima beans, but in this case I made mine with corn, purple spring onions & baby squash for a lighter take on the dish. This is quick to make - taking less than 30 minutes to throw together - and it's a great way to spice up a vegetable side dish. Serve this succotash with fish, shrimp or chicken for a lovely, light summer meal! Or, if you'd prefer to keep it vegetarian, add beans or tofu and enjoy! Happy Cooking Divas!

Baby Squash from the Farmers Market

Domestic Diva's Summer Succotash with Purple Spring Onions & Baby Squash!

2 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 bunch purple spring onions, purple parts sliced into rings (regular spring onions may be substituted)
2 cups baby squash, thinly sliced (regular squash may be substituted)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp chili flakes
salt & pepper

Directions:

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute for a 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook for 1 minute longer.

Add the squash and corn, saute until cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and season to taste with salt & pepper. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

organic purple spring onions, organic corn & organic baby squash from Hollywood Farmers Market

Music on Tap:

Okkervil River - The Stand Ins

The sequel to 2007's The Stage Names, this album has been on heavy rotation in my car all week! Similar musically to Bright Eyes, except more focused (and less pretentious), Okkervil River has quietly become on my favorite music acts. Check out this album (and their others) and I promise you won't be disappointed!

Fresh Pea Soup with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

The Diva coming to you with a brand spankin' new recipe! By Thursday night, who isn't tired from a long week and ready to throw in the towel and surrender to take out? If my boyfriend, Kuzak, was in charge, we'd be eating out of a greasy brown bag every night. Fortunately for us, and our arteries, he's not! But even I'm feeling a little fatigued by the end of the week, so one of my favorite staples to make for a warm, soothing dinner is soup. When it's paired with either a small panini sandwich or a great salad, soup transforms magically into a complete meal.

After surveying my fridge and cupboard, I decided to create a modern take on the old staple, Split Pea Soup with Ham. Instead of dried peas, I had a fridge full of two kinds of fresh peas: English Peas and Sugar Snap Peas. Instead of cooking soup the traditional way beginning with sauteing onions and cooking the peas with ham, I decided to deconstruct the soup. I blanched the peas and pureed them in a homemade veggie stock with garlic and olive oil, and served the soup with a heap of caramelized onions and a piece of crispy bacon. The resulting dish was lovely - a shocking bright green - and full of flavor, but also incredibly light. After whipping up some turkey and goat cheese panini's, we settled into my kitchen "Bistro" for a lovely dinner.

Nobody's helping The Diva!

Domestic Diva's Fresh Pea Soup with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

3 cups fresh peas (I used a combo of English Peas and Sugar Snap Peas)
3 cups homemade vegetable stock (simmer onion, carrot, celery, garlic and a bay leaf in filtered water for at least an hour)
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup olive plus 1 tbsp for drizzling
2 pieces of bacon
1 yellow onion
salt and pepper

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to boil. Quickly, blanch the peas in the water for a few minutes until tender. Remove from the water and rinse with cold water.


In a blender, puree the peas, stock, garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil until smooth. Adjust the amount of stock to achieve desired thickness. Return the soup to the stove top and simmer for 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Meanwhile, over medium high heat, fry the bacon slices until crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.


Drain most of the bacon fat from the pan, reserving a small amount. Add the onions to the pan, cooking over medium heat, until caramelized (about 10 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste.


To plate, ladle some soup into a bowl.


Add a good heap of the onions to the center of the bowl and top with a piece of crispy bacon. Drizzle with olive oil and serve!