Awesome, Tasty, AND Easy Recipes
by Dad’s & Kids for Mom!

 

 

Stir-Fried Asparagus with Leeks and New Potatoes

 Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend

This recipe is adapted from Beans, Greens, & Sweet Georgia Peaches, Second Edition, by Damon Lee Fowler (Globe Pequot Press/2014). The original had parsley, salt, and pepper as seasonings, but the herbs and lemon essence blended into The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend are perfect mates for spring asparagus, new potatoes, and leeks. It really adds a boost the flavor and condenses the condiments into a single ingredient that requires only a few shakesr.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • ½ pound small red new potatoes, scrubbed under cold running water
  • 1½ pounds fresh, fat-stemmed asparagus
  • Green tops of 2 large leeks, washed and trimmed
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Salt Table Hotess City Southern Hospitality Blend* or use another great Salt Table blend noted below
  • 1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley, optional

 

How to make it:

  1. Bring at least an inch of water to a boil over medium high heat in a heavy bottomed pot. Put the steaming basket or insert in or over the pot, add the potatoes, cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Steam until the potatoes are just tender and can be pierced easily with a sharp paring knife, about 8-10 minutes. Let them cool, and if making them ahead, cover and refrigerate. They can be precooked as much as a day ahead.
  2. Meanwhile, wash and trim the asparagus, peel the tough lower part of stem, and cut it into 1-inch lengths, keeping the tips separate from stems. Slice the leek greens crosswise into 2-inch lengths, then cut into thin strips. When ready to finish the sauté, cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces (halves if small, quarters if larger, eighths if really large).
  3. Melt the butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the asparagus stems. Stir-fry, tossing frequently, until they’re bright green and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue tossing until beginning to turn golden, about 3 minutes longer.
  4. Add the leek greens and asparagus tips and season well with several grindings of Hostess City Southern Hospitality blend. Stir-fry, tossing frequently, until the asparagus is crisp-tender and beginning to brown, but still firm and bright green. Stir in the parsley if using and turn off the heat. Taste and correct Hostess City Southern Hospitality blend and serve at once.

 

Suggested Seasonings

Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend

* Other appropriate blends would be The Salt Table’s Southern Herb Garden Grinder Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, and Southern Italian Grinder Blend

Roasted Spring Root Vegetables

 Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend

Our “roasting” is really roasting but high temperature baking, but never mind: This is a popular and simply beautiful way to prepare fresh spring vegetables. The special blend of herbs in The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend are the perfect seasoning for this method and simplifies the preparation since the seasonings are already perfectly blended.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

8 very small carrots with tops attached

12 small fresh radishes with tops attached

8-12 very small red or gold new potatoes

8-12 small shallots

8 small baby turnips, with tops attached

Extra-virgin olive oil

Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend or use another great Salt Table blend noted below

2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley or blend of fresh herbs, optional

 

HOW TO MAKE IT:

  1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450° F. Trim off all but 1 inch of the carrot tops. Wash, and if they’re not freshly gathered, peel, and cut them on the diagonal into 2-3 pieces. Wash and trim the radishes, leaving an inch of their tops attached, and halve them. Scrub the potatoes and halve them. Trim and peel the shallots, but leave them whole. Wash the turnips and trim them, leaving 1 inch of tops attached, then halve or quarter them.
  2. Drizzle a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan or heavy rimmed half-sheet pan with oil. Spread the vegetables on the pan, drizzle with more oil, and toss to mix and coat. Spread them flat (they should have room around them) with the potatoes cut-side-up, and season well with Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend. Roast 8 minutes, stir, turning potatoes cut side down, and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes more.
  3. Taste and adjust the Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend. Toss well and sprinkle with the optional parsley or other herbs, if using. Serve at once directly from the roasting pan.

 

Suggested Seasonings

Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend

* Other The Salt Table blends that are compatible with this recipe include Southern Herb Garden Grinder Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, Southern Italian Grinder Blend and Savannah River Street Cobblestone Blend

Herb Roasted Salmon

 Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend

The herb blend in The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend, enhanced with lemon essence and sea salt, is ideal for most any fish but is especially compatible with spring salmon. Roasting in a hot oven is a simple way to cook fish fillets that is easy even for novices.

Serves 4

 

INGREDIENTS:

4 6-ounce wild salmon filets

Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend or use another great Salt Table blend noted below

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

HOW TO MAKE IT:

  1. Position a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 450° F. Season the fish on all sides with Southern Springtime Blend. Rub a roasting pan, rimmed sheet pan, or large metal (copper or enameled iron) gratin with oil and put in the filets, skin-side down. Drizzle with more oil.
  2. Roast until the fish is done to your taste, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Sprinkle with Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend and serve it from the pan or transfer it to individual plates and serve immediately.

 

Suggested Seasonings

Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend

* Other appropriate The Salt Table blends would be Southern Herb Garden Grinder Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, Southern Italian Grinder Blend, and Tybee Island Coastal Grinder Blend

Broiled Chicken Breasts Dijon

 Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend

This is a lean and simple alternative to sautéed or fried chicken cutlets with far less mess. They can also be grilled if you prefer. If the only chicken breast halves you find are 10-12-ounce each, split them in half horizontally. The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend make short work of the seasoning and really enhances the mustard marinade.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)

Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend or use another great Salt Table blend noted below

1 small clove garlic, crushed, peeled, and roughly chopped

Pinch medium-course Salt Table Himalayan or sea salt

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth

1 tablespoon olive oil

 

How to make it:

  1. Position a rack 8 inches below the heat source and preheat the oven broiler for 15 minutes. Trim the chicken of any fat and cartilage and pat dry. Put them into a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Lightly season them on all sides with Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend.
  2. Sprinkle the chopped garlic with the pinch of salt and, with the side of a knife blade, scrape and rub to a puree. Scoop it into a small bowl. Whisk the mustard into garlic, then whisk in the vermouth and olive oil. Season lightly with more Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend. Pour this over the chicken, turning to coat it, and let it marinate 15-30 minutes.
  3. Rub a rimmed baking sheet or bottom of flameproof (broiler safe) casserole with olive oil. Lift the chicken breasts from the marinade, put them skin-side down in pan, and brush them well with the marinade.
  4. Broil until they’re beginning to color, about 3-4 minutes. Turn, brush with more marinade, and broil until they’re lightly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes longer. Discard remaining marinade.

 

Suggested Seasonings

Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend

* Other appropriate blends for this are Salt Table’s Herbes de Provence, Southern Herb Garden Blend, and All Round Good Grinder Blend