Dill

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Dill Potato Salad

2014-06-24 18.16.36

Summer is all about salads, and potato salad is no exception to the list.  While I love a healthy and fresh salad devoid of cheese and creamy dressing, sometimes a little creamy potato salad is just what the meal needs.  Especially when you are serving a main course straight off the grill.  I have an abundance of dill left over from our CSA this weekend and I needed a side to bring to dinner tomorrow night.  Potato salad is the best crowd pleaser I could come up with.  I started with a simple base and a combination of yukon and red potatoes to make this creamy and tangy masterpiece.  With the 4th of July coming up, I would recommend this as an easy and cost effective side.

Ingredients: 

3-4 medium size red skin potatoes
2 medium size yukon or golden potatoes
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
2-3 Tbsp light cream
1/4 cup of red onion, diced
1/4 cup of green onion, sliced green and white pieces
1/4 cup of dill, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Bring the potatoes to a boil, whole, let boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5-10 more minutes until just fork tender but not completely cooked.

2. In a bowl combine mayonnaise, cream, red and green onion, dill, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Drain and dice potatoes into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes based on preference.  Allow to cool and mix with mayonnaise mixture.  Serve that day or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

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Note: You may want to change out the dill for another herb of choice, but I think the dill is perfect.  You can also add some diced bacon for a meat lovers option, I think this is called German Style.  If you notice the potatoes absorb all the moisture on day 2, make up a little more mayo mix and add to potatoes.

Enjoy!

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Tangy Herb Vinaigrette

2014-06-22 19.04.51 Our summer CSA has been full of greens for salads, which means I was in the market for a new dressing to spice things up a bit.  This dressing is tangy and using the Vitamix makes it smooth and creamy without adding any dairy.  I adapted this vinaigrette from a recipe for pasta salad, but it pairs well with a classic summer salad topped with fish, chicken, or just veggies.

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Ingredients: 

1/4 cup of Avocado oil or another vegetable oil
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp of chopped dill
1 clove of garlic
dash of salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Add everything to the Vitamix and blend increasing to high until smooth and creamy.

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I used fresh parsley and dill, however I am looking forward to trying out other herbs to change the flavor profile: basil, thyme, cilantro, oregano, chives or whatever you are growing in abundance.

Enjoy and Eat Well!

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Easy Summer Chicken Salad

2014-06-21 14.11.30

Chicken salad is such an easy and seemingly fancy meal to serve at a picnic or pack for lunch.  With a good quality and flavorful chicken, keeping the recipe simple is better.  Today I used a bunch of the beautiful dill we got in our crop share and leftover smoked chicken to make this quick lunch.  I will be starting to post a few of our smoker recipes in the near future, as it is our newest cooking obsession.  If you don’t have homemade smoked chicken you can use grilled, roasted, or even baked chicken for your salad.  This is a great way to recreate your leftovers into an entirely new meal.

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Ingredients: 

1/2 smoked chicken, pulled and diced
1/3 cup of mayo (more or less for desired consistency)
handful of dill chopped
1/8-1/4 cup of red onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

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Directions: 

Combine all ingredients together and serve over a salad, on bread, or wrap!

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NOTE: You can substitute other herbs if you don’t have dill on hand, such as thyme, cilantro, basil, parsley, chives even mint.  Green onions are a nice addition to this in a wrap and of course some tomatoes and avocado to get some extra vegetables on your plate.

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