This recipe is one I found on Pinterest and nipped, tucked, and tweaked to make this killer vegetable side dish.

I hadn’t planned to post it until the end of the week, but a couple of you asked for it ASAP, so here it is.

The 4-ounce package of diced pancetta is from Trader Joe’s and makes this dish a snap.

When you’re in the produce department looking at leeks, always pick out the leeks with the most white. The dark green goes in the trash. White and light green = Good. Dark green = Waste.

Also, always wash your leeks after you’ve sliced or diced them. To do so, fill a bowl with cold water, drop the leeks in and swish around. Then use your hands to lift the leeks out of the water, transferring them to a dish or plate. Next, pour out the dirty water and do it all over again. Pour out that water and if it’s clear, your leeks are ready to use. If that water is still sandy and dirty, do it again and again as needed. It’s important to not pour the leeks into a strainer. Doing so will leave the dirt you removed from the leeks all over them again.

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How completely adorable and at the same time, sophisticated, is this? It’s the picture perfect elegant appetizer.

A cute and savory Smoked Salmon Mini “Ice Cream” Cone.

It is eaten in a bite or two. It is a flavor explosion in your mouth, a combination of creamy, sweet, smoking … perfection!

Believe it or not it is also a breeze to make. Really, it could not be more simple.

I purchased the mini ice cream cones on Amazon HERE. They came perfectly wrapped and not a one was cracked or broken.

Note: I’ve noticed that the cones above have not been available on Amazon for quite some time. Here are a few more resources:

Etsy, Restaurantware, or a sugar cone on Amazon

I made these for my last week of classes at Les Gourmettes. We served them as they were made during the class, so there was no need for a beautiful table presentation.

In fact, I made a “cone holder” with a heavy-duty cardboard box, an ice pick and a chopstick. I made the first hole with the ice pick then made it large enough to hold a cone, using the larger end of the chopstick.

You could do the same, even for a more presentable presentation. Just wrap the box in some colorful fabric or simple butcher paper. Or you can buy a lovely artist palette holder HERE.

These would be perfect for any entertaining event… say a Christmas Open House, a cocktail party or maybe even … a wedding.

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This potato salad was the second side to my patriot menu. The entrée and full menu will follow, tomorrow.

Creamy Dijon & Dill Potato Salad

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and left whole
Kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1/3 cup tightly packed chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper

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I am naming this “bonus salad” because while creating it, my intention was to include it in the “Take your Lunch to Work Week” that I just wrapped up for my sweet Marissa. But once I got into it, I slowly came to the realization that this takes far too much time and effort than required for an easy lunch to brown bag… that is unless you use it as leftovers… from dinner the night before. In that case, it’s perfect!

I made this a week ago Sunday and, as with most Sundays, we had my dad over for dinner. Dave and Dad devoured this thing. They loved it so much that they each had not only seconds but thirds!

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers and want to brown-bag them the next day – here is what you do: Pack the greens and the feta together in one container or zip-lock. Pack the mushroom-asparagus-rice mixture in a microwave-safe container. Nuke the mushroom mixture to just warm it through. Place your greens and feta on a plate and top it with warm stuff. Yum… makes me wish I would have had leftovers of my own last Monday. 🙁

The “bonus pics” in the title refer to some iPhone pictures of a few of the beyond delicious courses we had at Binkley’s last night. How I love that place! You’ll find them below the recipe.

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The remaining days of this weeks posts may end up all mentioning my beautiful friend and co-worker, Kim. And that would be a good thing, indeed! Last night Kim and I went out for a glass of wine, to catch up. Before leaving the house, I received a call from her asking if I could use some dill. Turns out her friend and neighbor has a garden and her dill runneth over. Of course, I’d love to have dill, or anything else from someone’s garden.

When Kim arrives to pick me up, she not only has a bag of dill but a huge head of purple cabbage too – look at that monster! Now, cabbage isn’t my favorite vegetable, I’ll eat it and I find it tolerable, but not on the top of my list. Not to worry, Kim has a recipe for a fabulous cabbage soup. OK, I trust her taste 100%, so I tell her to send me that cabbage soup recipe.

In the meantime, I used the dill to make a dill pesto as a garnish for a carrot soup that Dave and I enjoyed for dinner last night. I was so distracted by that head of cabbage, that I neglected to take a photo of the lovely pile of dill, but you’ll at least see it in the final product below.  As for the cabbage… that story will be continued tomorrow.

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… is kinda of red and green, which makes this very pretty appetizer or brunch pizza perfect for Christmas.

Naan can be found on the bread aisle at most grocery stores, at Trader Joe’s, or at Costco. And smoked mozzarella with other specialty cheeses. But if you can’t find the mozzarella, substitute smoked Gouda.

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These stuffed peppers are my idea of delicious and classy “poppers” and are a Christmas tradition in our house. The pink salmon against the green pepper looks great on a holiday buffet.

This past July I made these for Jeff and Jen while we were spending a week at their amazing lakeside log cabin in Northern Wisconsin. It’s hard to call it a cabin, because it’s such a big beautiful home filled with rustic and classic décor, happy kids running about, great food, and tons of fun! I call it The Log Mansion. Plus, to get out of our 110+ degree heat in July and relax in the cool pines with great friends… truly a slice of heaven on earth!

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