This post marks a series of guest posts that will be running on Guilty Kitchen over the months of July and August. Why guest posts? Hey, even food bloggers need a break too! I am taking this time to spend more hours walking barefoot through my garden (though on second thought, shoes may be present after stepping on a bee last week.), giggling like a five year old with my two kids, making blanket tents with the kitchen table, fumbling my way through play dough recipes and blowing bubbles for hours on the deck, beer or wine in hand. I may even cook up a few recipes to keep in my arsenal for when I return full time.

I’ve chosen some of the best and brightest to fill in for me and I hope you will give them as much praise and adulation that you give me.

For each guest post, I will continue to write intros though, so I will be here the whole time. I may even throw in some anectodes and photos of what we’re up to. Childhood is short and sweet and I want to get every little bit out of it that I can.

 

Today’s guest post is from Nancy at A Communal Table. Nancy shares mouthwatering recipes and gorgeous photography alongside heartfelt words, just like me. Her style is simple and elegant and the food matches it perfectly. Nancy’s love of food goes as deep as mine, as she also works as a personal chef.

Today she shares with us a perfect summer side dish, roasted potato salad. with a vinaigrette based dressing, one of my favourites!

Cheers and happy reading!

 

Elizabeth

 

Hello Everyone!

When Elizabeth asked if  I  would be interested in guest posting here at Guilty Kitchen I was thrilled! Like you, I am a huge fan of Guilty Kitchen and am so excited to posting on this amazing blog! Thank you so much for having me Elizabeth!

Have you ever noticed that just about every interview with a chef includes a question about what  their favorite/most crucial  piece of equipment is??

The answers are pretty predictable – knives, pans, spoons, etc. Sometimes though they are a bit wacky  like a  salt slab – really??? (Sorry I can’t remember the name of that chef – if you know it, kindly post it in the comments section!)

Ok, so I am not a celebrity chef, but today  I am going to share with you my favorite piece of equipment – the one I use almost everyday and that  frankly  I couldn’t cook without. Want to guess???

Well, if you guessed a rimmed sheet pan, you would be correct!!!  It may seem like a strange choice but seriously, I use these for just about everything – meats, vegetables, fruits – you name it, I have probably cooked it on a sheet pan.

Which brings me to this potato salad.

For years, I did not make potato salad. The idea of peeling, cubing and cooking potatoes,  draining them, THEN mixing them with a dressing (which of course you had to mix in separate bowl) seemed like a whole lot of dishes for a side dish – and since I wasn’t a huge fan (well, except for Nate n’ Al’s which I would happily walk over hot coals for) I just didn’t do it.

Then I tasted my first potato salad with roasted potatoes and a vinaigrette dressing…. and I couldn’t stop eating. Since then, I have been experimenting with all kinds of  flavor combination and this is one of my favorites – roasted potatoes, roasted corn, roasted red bell peppers and pancetta dressed with a light sherry vinaigrette and topped with a little crumbled blue cheese. Now THAT is a potato salad worth a lot of dishes. But as luck would have it, it only requires two – a sheet pan and a small bowl. That’s it!

One Year Ago: Pulled Lamb Sandwich with Chimichurri Sauce

Two Years Ago: Chipotle Tuna Tartare with Sea Asparagus Salad

Roasted Potato Salad with Corn, Pancetta and Blue Cheese

Yield: 4-6 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes 

Note: If you cannot find sherry wine vinegar, substitute  1/4 cup white wine vinegar for the sherry and cider vinegar. Pancetta is an italian style bacon – if you can’t find pancetta, you can substitute 3 -4 slices of  thick cut bacon.

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. small red potatoes – quartered or cut into 6th’s if large
• 1 – red bell pepper – seeded and cut into 1/2 inch dice
• fresh corn kernels cut from 2 ears of fresh corn
• 4 oz. uncooked  pancetta cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 scallions, sliced into 1/4 inch slices (optional)
• Dressing:
• 2 Tbsp. sherry wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. Dump cut potatoes on sheet pan and spread out into a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place in the oven and set timer for  15 minutes.
4. While potatoes are cooking, combine the vinegars , mustard  and a large pinch of salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add pepper and whisk to combine. Drizzle olive oil into vinegar mixture while whisking. Whisk until mixture is thoroughly combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.
5. After potatoes have been in the oven for 15 minutes, add the red bell peppers and the pancetta. Cook for another 10 minutes and then add the corn.
6. Cook for an additional 10 – 15 minutes or until potatoes are golden and tender and vegetables have caramelized.
7. Remove pan from oven and drizzle the dressing all over. Using a spatula or a couple of spoons toss the potatoes, corn, peppers  and pancetta so that they are evenly coated with the dressing. Sprinkle with the crumbled blue cheese and the scallions and serve.

Similarly delicious recipes from other fabulous food blogs:

Warm Potato, Fennel and Onion Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette on The Perfect Pantry
Sweet Potato and Onion Salad on Gluten Free Goddess
Grilled Potato Salad on 101 Cookbooks
Japanese Potato Salad on Just Hungry
Sweet Potato, Bacon and Pomegranate Salad on Family Fresh Cooking