Pink Poppy and Purple Allium

Just a few flowers from my garden.

I was afraid that the poppy would bloom while I was on vacation, but it burst a few blooms out yesterday. Just for me of course ;)

The allium in the bed close to my house are still blooming. They are a shorter variety, but the flowers are massive.

I bought a new camera!

Loving the macro and zoom.

My favorite poppy. Every year my Mom tries to convince me to divide it, but this poppy doesn't like to be moved or disturbed, so she fails to convince me every year.

Actually, I love to move things around in my garden, but this is the one thing that's stayed in the same place. I'm too afraid to move it, because I love it so much.

Tansy and Crocuses

I took a few pictures of Tansy outside in the crocuses.

Just pictures of Tansy!

Spring!

She really liked the flavor of crocus flowers.

Jump! Whoops, she's still a baby and she couldn't quite make it over the crocuses.

"Nummy mo fwowers!"

Smashed Purple Potato Crab Croquettes with Choron Sauce

Smashed Purple Potato Crab Croquettes
1/2 lb. purple/all blue potatoes - cooked and riced
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cups cream
1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs garlic puree
1/4 cup chopped red peppers
1/4 cup chopped yellow peppers
1/4 cup fresh chopped green onion
1 lb canned crab meat (about 2 cans)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt
2 Tbs mustard
2 Tbs lemon juice
For breading:
bread crumbs
(I used Panko extra crispy)
flour
more Lawry's seasoning salt
egg - whisked

Mix all croquette ingredients together. In 3 small bowls prepare breading. One with the egg, one with the bread crumbs, one with the flour and Lawry's combined.
Take 1 Tbs sized balls of croquette mixture. Gently form a ball and roll the ball first in the flour/seasoning mix, then the egg and then the bread crumbs.
Place ball on a well grease baking sheet. Gently press ball down to form a 1/2 inch thick disc.
Continue with the rest of the croquette mixture.
Bake croquettes at 450F degrees for 10 mins or until browned.
Serve with Charon sauce - recipe below.

Charon Sauce

First step:

1 cup chopped, seeded,peeled tomatoes (I used 1/2 a can)

3 Tbs dried tarragon

2 Tbs. minced shallots or onion

1/3 cup vinegar

2 cups wine

2 Tbs parsley

Second step:

4 egg yolks

(I used the whites to dip the croquettes in)

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 Tbs water

1 Tbs mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 sticks butter, melted and warm

Combine all the first step ingredients and simmer over med-high heat for 20 mins. Remove from heat and strain liquid. Discard tomato/onion/tarragon/ect and return strained liquid to the stove.

Continue cooking over med-high heat until mixture is reduced.

This is going to take a while.

Reduce liquid to a thick dark syrup - 3-4 Tbs.

Remove from heat and continue with second step.

Second step: Making Hollindaise Sauce. Reserve butter, but combine all other ingredients in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk continuously until mixture is thick and pale yellow.

Remove from heat and continue whisking vigorously. Add butter in 4 batches. Continue to whisk. Add tomato mixture and continue whisking until combined.

Place sauce over a pot of warm water, off of the heat, and cover to keep warm. Stir occasionally until needed.

This is me. Waiting and waiting for the tomato mixture to reduce.

Purple Potatoes

Remember waaaaay back when I told you about my purple potatoes?

And how they were so sweet and yummy?

They're actually blue potatoes - a variety called "All Blue", because they not only have 'blue' skin, but blue flesh too.

Do these potatoes look blue to you?

Whatever, it was probably named by a color blind man.

No offense men!

but you're more likely to be color unaware.

This is the only recipe for scalloped potatoes you will ever need.

Really.

No joke.

Write this down.

Ingredients:

Potatoes

Onions

Cream

Salt

Pepper

Nutmeg

Chop onions

Thinly slice potatoes.
Your color choice.


In a greased baking dish layer potatoes and onions.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and nutmeg lightly over each layer.



Keep making layers.

Pour your cream over the top until it covers the potatoes.

It should look like this.
And I hope you are not making this with milk!

No cheating!

You have to use whole fat yummy CREAM.

It won't work with milk - not even 2%.

Sprinkle on some more pepper, salt and nutmeg.

Bake at 350 degrees - until bubbly and light golden brown on top.

About 1 hour.

Now looking at the pics - when it's cold it looks blue, when it gets warmed up it looks purple.

So weird.

But tasty.