take that MEAT !

Wow...it's been too long. Almost a month since my last post...yikes. It's been for a couple of good reasons though...work has been crazy busy...and took me out of town for a few days. And to be quite honest...I've got to partially blame the CSA we've been a part of this year. You've heard me bitch about the abundance of summer squash at the beginning of the summer...well now it's time to bitch about the volume of potatoes. I mean like serious amounts (up to 4lbs) a week ! What in the hell am I supposed to do with that? Well for one thing...I can now make gnocchi with my eyes closed and one arm tied behind my back. Seriously...it's been a gnocchi clinic around here...in all types of sauces...but not tonight. Don't worry, I've honestly got about another 5lbs in my kitchen. But tonight I decided to go another route.

Everybody knows about the long standing relationship between meat and potatoes. Right ? It's tried and true and has been done hundreds of ways I'm sure...but how about potatoes and cheese. An often under appreciated pairing that is quite common. Twice baked potatoes, Parmesan mashed potatoes, and today's delight...potato cakes stuffed with fontina cheese and a drizzle of beschamel sauce. And just in time for the holidays ! As we prepare for the holiday that really revolves around a meal...everyone shows up expecting an outstanding bird, but guests normally have to deal with rather boring store bought pickies while awaiting the main event. Well I'd like to bring the appetizer, the antipasti, and/or the tapas to table and maybe pass on the turkey...ok...just a leg. Here's an easy finger food sure to delight and keep guests huddled around the table (or the football game) and out of the kitchen.

Potato cakes

8 russet potatoes

2tbsp herb mixture of your choice

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 C hard cheese of your choice, cubed

1 C panko bread crumbs

Directions

Ok...it seems like kind of a cop-out to put so many "of your choice" moments in the ingredients list...but it's true. I went with an herb mixture of marjoram, oregano, parsley, and thyme...very deep woodsy and Italian and paired it with fontina cheese. But as I said...the choice is really yours.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Bake the potatoes directly on an oven rack for an hour or so.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly...until you can handle them. Split length wise and scoop out the flesh and run through a ricer.

Add herbs, salt and pepper. I grated some cheese into the mixture and also threw in a handful of panko as well. Totally optional. Mix to incorporate but keep the mixture loose.

Form golf ball sized balls in your hand. Then make a dimple or a well in the cake with your thumb, place a cube of cheese in it, and reform ball to enclose the cheese. Coat the ball in panko crumbs and set aside on a baking sheet. Continue until all of the potato mixture is used up. Place baking sheet with formed cakes in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Heat 3tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. Place cakes in the hot oil and pan fry till golden brown on all sides. You'll most likely have to do this in batches. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with a bit more salt while still hot. Drizzle with beschamel cheese sauce and serve.

Beschamel cheese sauce

3tbsp butter

3tbsp all purpose flour

1 C milk

1 C shredded/cubed cheese of your choice

Directions

Melt butter over medium heat in a small sauce pan. Add flour and whisk to combine well. Continue whisking for a minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Add milk, raise heat to medium high and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Once you begin to feel resistance to your whisk, remove from heat, add cheese and whisk until it's melted. Depending on the cheese and type of milk used...you may need to add a little milk to thin out...this is up to you.

So it's a little time consuming in the fact that you've got to bake the potatoes for an hour, but beyond that it's a breeze. You can totally make the cakes and store in the fridge overnight, so all you've got to do is fry them up, make the sauce and you're ready to go. The only tough thing about it will be deciding what to do with all those store bought pickies that haven't been eaten. Oh well...you've got to eat something with all those turkey sandwiches for the next week !

Mangia et statti zitto...

cheers...

dunkin