scalloped

we're still recovering from this year's urban family easter and definitely still enjoying all the leftovers! doctor pepper & mustard glazed ham, horseradish deviled eggs, homemade pickles, burrata with melted leeks and italian style cheesecake with blood orange marmalade were just a few of the favorites. lots of leftover ham so we had to make some scalloped potatoes with ham, fennel and irish cheddar. this dish makes a nice meal for two with a simple side salad.

we've also got a a few other things we're excited about right now. thrilled to get this book in the mail yesterday - we love the art of jason munn, and so do our walls which are covered in his fabulous concert posters. check out jen's newest etsy shop, feather & bone, filled with beautiful prints from a trip to the university of colorado museum of natural history. and finally, we're very excited to see molly speak at her book signing here tonight! oh, and yesterday was opening day in ballparks around the country, so make some purcell dogs and start watching baseball!

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

serves 2

2 tbs olive oil

1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

2-3 small russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup thinly sliced ham

2 cups shredded cheese, such as sharp irish cheddar or gruyere

fresh ground black pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. grease a 1.5 quart baking dish and set aside. in a medium saute pan, heat olive oil and add red onion and fennel. cook over medium high heat until wilted, about 6 minutes. layer 1/3 of the potatoes on bottom of baking dish, overlapping slightly. layer with 1/2 of the ham, then half of the onion and fennel, and top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. continue with another layer and finish with remaining potatoes, a few grinds of pepper and remaining cheese. loosely cover with foil, tented so as not to stick to the cheese, and bake 35 minutes. remove foil and bake 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and brown. let cool 10 minutes before serving. enjoy!

st. paddy's

this is a dish we made this year to keep in mind for next year's feast. hope everyone had a great st. patrick's day filled with lots of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and Guinness! if you have any leftover you should definitely try making patties and frying them up for breakfast. besides cabbage, the traditional recipe calls for other greens and what's used usually varies depending on the region in ireland it is prepared. we used spinach and it was wonderful but any combination of potatoes and butter is probably great. enjoy!

Colcannon

4 lbs red potatoes, partially peeled & quartered
12 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 head green cabbage, cored & sliced
2 cups chopped greens (spinach, parsley, kale or broccoli leaves)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup milk, warmed
salt & pepper to taste
in a large pot, simmer potatoes until tender, about 30-40 minutes. meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup water and 2 tbs butter to a boil in a small pot. add cabbage and reduce heat to medium. cook until tender, about 15 minutes. drain well and set aside. in a large skillet, melt 2 tbs butter over medium high heat and add chopped greens and green onions. saute until just wilted, add cabbage and keep warm.
drain potatoes well and return to pot. add warm milk and remaining butter and mash with a potato masher, leaving some chunks. add cabbage mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.