Farm Diva Potatoes

I can never seem to get a photograph of these potatoes before the dish is half gone.

Whenever there is an occasion for a rich and tasty potato side dish or simply an urgent need for a fast and simple side dish, this is my go-to recipe. It is perfect with breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. It works on buffets or served on the plate.  It can be served from a large casserole dish or in individual baking cups.  It’s another one for which I’ve never really used measurements, because I was never given any… and they aren’t really necessary.  My sister got the recipe from her mother-in-law, Ginny, which is how they came to be known in our family as Gigi Potatoes.  Since you’ve probably never met Gigi, you can just call them yours.

Ingredients

28 oz. package frozen hash browns

1/3 stick butter

Lowry’s Seasoned Salt

Onion powder

Pepper

12 oz package shredded Colby Jack cheese

Paprika

½ cup half of half

Preparation 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Butter a 9”x13” baking pan and place the hash browns in the pan.  

Dot the hash browns with butter.  

Sprinkle Lowry’s Seasoned Salt evenly over the top of the hash browns. (The more you add the saltier it will be, so don’t overdo it.) 

Sprinkle onion powder evenly over the top of the hash browns. (Use about the same amount of onion powder as you did salt.) 

Sprinkle pepper over the hash browns.  

Cover the entire dish with the Colby Jack cheese.  

Sprinkle some paprika over the top. 

Pour half and half over the entire dish.  You may wish to add more or less depending upon how wet or dry you would like it. I use glass baking pans, so I  usually add half and half until I can see it pooling at the bottom of the dish.  

Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes if thawed potatoes are used or for 45 minutes if frozen potatoes are used.  You may want to take a little bite before taking them out to make sure the potatoes are tender. 

Lamb and Mushroom Pirog

Lamb and Mushroom Pirog is one of my favorite dishes to cook around the holidays. It’s a great seasonal choice for Easter, but it’s hearty enough for winter celebrations. I usually make it for Christmas parties. It is one of those dishes that looks complicated to make, but in fact it is very simple.  Best of all, it can be made ahead and frozen, which makes it perfect for dinner parties.

This dish always inspires me to fire up the samovar, which is the centerpiece of Russian hospitality. I usually serve this with a potato dish, dilled cucumbers and cold borscht. Our family cold borscht recipe is also very basic, but amazingly tasty with just beets, sour cream, green onions and pepper. (I prefer cold borscht to hot even in winter time, because the chances of splattering or spilling beet juice is so much higher with hot borscht.)

I'm including the pirog recipe here.  I borrowed it years ago from my mother, who had the recipe in a cookbook.  The cookbook is long gone, and I don't even know the name of it.  The recipe is probably very close to the original, so if anyone recognizes it and can send me the name of the cookbook I would be grateful. Otherwise, I hope you will try it and enjoy this wonderful, warm comfort food.

Lamb and Mushroom Pirog

Dough Ingredients:

½ cup warm water

1 package yeast

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

½ cup butter at room temperature

3 ½ cups flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 egg yolk

Filling Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of butter

2 pounds sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill weed

½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1 ½ pounds ground lamb

Make the lamb filling:

Melt three tablespoons of butter in a four quart sauté pan.  Add the mushrooms and cover and cook at medium heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove cover, turn up heat and cook off the liquid.  Mix in the flour, dill weed and sour cream.  Stir and cook until heated through and blended.  Pour into a large bowl and set aside.

Rinse pan and add the ground lamb.  Brown the lamb and break up the meat.

Drain off the fat and add the mushroom mixture.  Salt to taste.  Cover and chill.

Make pastry dough:

Place warm water in a large bowl.  Add yeast.  Wait five minutes.

Grease the inside of a large bowl with the olive oil and set aside.

Stir in salt, sugar, and eggs.  Cut butter into small pieces and add to liquid.  Add flour and mix until moistened.

Shape into a ball and place on a floured board.  Knead until smooth and elastic.

Place dough into the greased bowl and turn over once to coat with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about one hour.

Assemble:

Grease a baking sheet and set out a second ungreased baking sheet.

Knead on floured board to expel air bubbles.  Pinch off about 1/2 cup and set aside.  Shape the larger piece into a ball and place on a floured surface.  Roll dough into a rectangle about 10” x 18”. Lay the pastry across the ungreased baking sheet.

Spoon cold lamb filling onto the dough at one end.  Shape the filling into a compact rectangle leaving space around the three outside edges..

Fold the exposed dough over the filling and pinch the bottom edge up over the sides.

Place the greased baking sheet face down onto the pirog.  Supporting with the lower pan, invert the pirog onto the greased baking sheet.

Roll out reserved dough to create decorations.

Baking (Immediately):

Let rise about 20 minutes.  Brush with egg and water mixture.  Prick top in six to eight places with a fork.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.  Serve hot, cutting into squares.

Baking (Make Ahead):

Cool the unbaked pirog.  Wrap and either freeze for several days or chill for 24 hours. 

If frozen, remove from freezer about eight hours before cooking. If it thaws more quickly you may move it back into the refrigerator until you are ready.

If chilled, remove from the refrigerator and let sit for about 40 minutes at room temperature.

Brush with egg and water mixture.  Prick top in six to eight places with a fork.  Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Per Serving: 319 Cal (46% from Fat, 23% from Protein, 31% from Carb); 18 g Protein; 16 g Tot Fat; 8 g Sat Fat; 6 g Mono Fat; 1 g Poly Fat; 25 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 208 mg Sodium; 122 mg Cholesterol

The Glaring's Limoncello Dedication

Every year we dedicate our limoncello to a special dog, but this year the cats took over the house and the dedication goes to The Glaring. If you want to make your own limoncello follow this link.

2017 -- The Glaring's Limoncello

It’s 3 a.m. and five month old Sprite is pacing between the pillows mewing and purring. It’s time to eat, but she is being ignored. Tommy Lee, the all-occasion-cat, is waiting at the bedroom door, saying nothing. The humans will not stir for another hour, but when they do Tommy Lee will add her short, delicate “Me!” to the Sprite’s call for breakfast.
The soprano is warming up.
When the kitchen light turns on it’s time for Richard Parker to come upstairs. “Meh,” she yawns. The cat flap clacks as Lucy returns from the morning hunt, dropping her spoils at the door in anticipation of breakfast. She announces herself with a “Maaw!”
As coffee is made the kitchen comes to life. The cat dancers glide around and away from one another in an intricate quadrille. Their tails swish and eyes flash. Their distinctive voices sing rounds with a common chorus until at last the dishes are dropped in their separate corners. One by one the choir rests.

And the dogs? Where are the dogs? This is too much chaos for dogs. They will stay in bed until the coast is clear. The cats have taken over.

2017 -- The Glaring

2016 -- Tallulah

2015 -- Ratchet (No photograph available)

2014 -- Calicocoa

2013 -- Griffen

2012 -- Zamboni

2011 -- Milo

2010 -- Maggie

2009 -- Parker

2008 -- Rocket

2007 -- Zero

2006 -- Roland