Roasted Potato and Fennel Salad

One of my favorite recipes, very loosely adapted from (more like inspired by) a recipe in Cooks Illustrated for roasted potato salad with salsa verde.

Step 1: Potatoes

2 lb small red-skinned potatoes or small Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into ¾ inch chunks
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 F / 250 C. Spread the potatoes on a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet (lined with foil, if available – makes cleanup easier). Drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Make sure the potatoes are well coated with oil but not drenched. Spread the potatoes out into a single layer and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size. Check and stir the potatoes once during roasting. When potatoes are done, transfer them to a large serving bowl and scrape all the toasty bits off the pan.

Step 2: The other stuff

1 medium fennel bulb

Cut the top and the bottom off the fennel bulb. Slice the fennel in half from top to bottom. Slice crosswise as thinly as possible. Add fennel to the bowl with the potatoes. Keep the fronds.

Salsa Verde:
½ c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Reserved fennel fronds from fennel, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 T fresh orange juice or lemon juice
1 T white-wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
1 T rice wine (mirin)
1 T honey (if needed for sweetness)
¼ c extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium bowl, stir together the above ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the dressing to the bowl with the fennel and potatoes and toss well to combine. Check for seasoning and serve.

Balsamic Roasted Green Beans, Roasted Butternut Squash, and Spinach Tortelloni with Butter and Sage

Here's the basics of this easy weeknight dinner:

Green Beans
Either buy a package of trimmed green beans or about a pound of bulk beans. If you buy the latter, snap the ends off. Wash the beans, dry them and lay out on a baking sheet lined with foil. Thinly slice one red onion for each pound of green beans. Thinly slice 2 or 3 garlic cloves for each pound of green beans. Season with coarse salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and roast at 425 for about 30 minutes, stirring once. When the beans are done, drizzle with balsamic and stir while still on the baking sheet to loosen all the brown bits (deglazing, essentially).

These beans are fabulous cold or reheated the next day.

Squash
Cut up one medium-sized butternut squash into cubes. Cut one sweet Spanish onion into chunks. Toss with salt, pepper and olive oil on a baking sheet and roast at 425 for about an hour, stirring once or twice. Be sure that the squash is caramelized but not burned.

This is also delicious reheated and smooshed onto bread.

Tortelloni with Butter and Sage
Be a cheater: buy a package of spinach and cheese tortelloni, but buy the good stuff. Cook it in boiling salted water. Melt a stick of butter in a saucepan. Sprinkle with salt when the foam subsides. Let it brown a bit, if desired. Add the sage leaves and sizzle for 1 minute. Add the drained tortelloni and toss it around in the butter. Done!