Ina's Herbed Potato Salad with a side of peonies

 I know we all have our go-to, favorite recipes and this is one of mine. Summer is here (-ish, we still do live in San Francisco) and I'm dreaming of outdoor grilling on warm nights. To keep my delusion of summer alive I made a simple summer meal of "barbecue" chicken, herb potato salad and jalapeno cole slaw. I have been making this potato salad of Ina Garten's for years and I just keep coming back to it. It is a simple and refreshing version, herbaceous and not mayonnaise-y (for those of you who have mayonnaise-haters in your life as well).

To make Ina's potato salad: Place 3 pounds small boiling or fingerling potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10-15 mins, drain and then let sit in the colander covered by a dish towel until you are ready for 'em. For the vinaigrette: whisk together 2 tablespoons each white wine, chicken stock, and lemon juice. Add in a clove or two minced garlic (I go for one), a healthy 1/2 teaspoon dijon, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous dusting of pepper. Then slowly whisk in 1/2-2/3 cup olive oil.

   Once the potatoes have cooled a bit cut them in halves or quarters. Add the dressing and toss to combine. For the last step add fresh herbs. Ina adds in a diced red onion and tarragon. I skip the onion and usually add in some chopped cilantro, basil, parsley and/or chives (basically, whatever I have on hand and sounds good).

Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Chili-Lime Shrimp

In keeping with the seasons, I have been craving summer-y foods - cold, fresh fruit, burgers, the taste of  grill and one of my go-to meals of late has been a cold noodle salad that I came up with in an effort to make something refreshing and to make a dent in my enormous bottle of fish sauce. This dish has turned into one of our household faves, not only because it is yummy and refreshing, but also, for the cook-er, it is quite simple to throw together. You will find the recipe below but please note that you should always throw in whatever toppings or whatever sauce-y components that sound good to you (I change the proportions based on my mood - spicy, citrus-y, etc.). 

Also, I forgot to note that this lovely recipe card and the card I used in my last post were designed by The Dapper Paper Co. and you can purchase your own set here. I LOVE their stuff and want to have some sort of important event just so I can have an excuse to have invitations designed by them.

Also, continuing with my peony trend - I bought the most spectacular peonies at Trader Joe's that started out a bright pink color (I guess they are "coral" peonies) and then they slowly morphed into a light pink and finally a stark white. It made for quite the dramatic show.

6.9.10

I have no idea what kind of flower this is, but I liked it.