Massive gardens run in my family (ending with me...no green thumb for this chick). Every summer, both sets of Grandparents as well as my Dad were always tootling around in their gardens that went on forever. Whenever I visited my Grandma's house we could always count on fresh garden produce dug up from the earth moments before being washed and whipped up into lunch or supper. This simple potato side dish is reminiscent of the hot un-airconditioned days at Grandma's house. I felt very nostalgic (and homesick) making this in my very own kitchen and feeding it to my own kids.
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4 cups baby potatoes (if some are bigger than others, slice them in half to keep them all the same size. Otherwise, leave whole)
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter
1 cup half and half cream
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper
Put on a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the potatoes and cook about 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain.
While the potatoes are cooking, in a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Once melted add the flour and stir and let cook for a couple minutes. This is called a roux, and is your thickening agent. You just want it to cook to get rid of the floury taste. Then slowly whisk in your cream adding a little at a time until the roux and cream are worked together and there are no clumps. Let this come up to a simmer and turn down the heat to low. Let cook until the sauce is thick and creamy (add more cream or milk to thin out if you like). Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh chopped dill. You'll need to season liberally with kosher salt and pepper. Season and taste and keep seasoning until it doesn't taste bland.
Serve the boiled baby potoates with the dill cream on the side. Dish on the plate and pour the cream over the potatoes and enjoy.
Tip: Double this recipe and use the leftovers to make Creamy Summer Vegetable Soup.
Click here for printable version of Baby Potatoes with Dill Cream
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THE RESULTS?
Every summer I crave the flavor of baby potatoes dug straight from the earth and boiled. It's simple and satisfying. I usually like the unmasked flavor of the potato with just a pat of sweet butter, but this dill cream kind of makes me a bit weak. I serve it with a salty and smokey Farmer Sausage to compliment the simple delicate flavor of the potatoes. If you make extra dill cream or have leftovers, it makes a fabulous base for Creamy Summer Vegetable Soup.
For more recipe ideas, check out Gayle's Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.