Easter Feast

For Easter, we decided to have a spiral sliced ham, pan roasted fingerling potatoes, steamed carrots with butter and a Bibb lettuce salad (Thomas Keller Bouchon recipe).

We did not attempt anything excited with the ham and it still tasty delicious. Madelyn was a big fan and is willingly eating leftovers. Next year, I hope to try a fun sauce to baste the ham with while it cooks.

The pan roasted fingerling potato idea came from Mario Batali's recipe on The Chew - http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Pan-Roasted-Turnips-Paprika-Mario-Batali. We were a little scared about adding the vinegar, but the potatoes turned out very tasty!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound Fingerling Potatoes (thinly sliced)
• Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (we used 1/8 cup)
  
• 2 tablespoon Unsalted Butter (we used 1 Tbsp)
  
• 2 tablespoon Poppy Seeds (Omitted)
  
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom (omitted) - substituted a hefty shake of garlic powder
  
• 2 tablespoon Paprika
• 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 3 tablespoon Parsley (chopped)
• 3 teaspoon Chives (chopped)

Instructions:
Place the potato slices in a bowl and season them with salt and pepper.

In a 12-to 14-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat until starting to brown. Add the potatoes and toss to coat them well. Then add the (poppy seeds if using) and sauté until the potatoes are a light golden brown, 8 to 9 minutes.

Add the garlic powder (cardamom) and paprika, and toss to coat. Cook for one minutes until all potatoes are coated. Add the vinegar and cook until it has evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Add parsley and chives. Remove the skillet from the heat, season again with salt and pepper, and serve.

I love the Bibb lettuce salad because it is full of fresh herbs - chives, tarragon, chervil and Italian parsley. You also add salt, pepper and minced shallots with a homemade vinaigrette (red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and canola oil - season with salt and pepper). It's a fresh side dish that boasts lovely 'green' flavors.

We paired a Pinot Noir from Williamette Valley, Oregon with this simple, yet delicious meal.

Bon Appetitt!