A Latke Party! / December 6, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

this post was created in partnership with bed bath & beyond.

i think we're all murmuring with slight anxiety/disbelief: it's december already, and feeling those go, go, go holiday vibrations. there's a very present buzz in the air this time of year, and i find myself taking those few extra deep breaths in a given moment to try to let it all go. i'm not a huge holiday shopper, the crowds and hubbub and music and lights can be overwhelming. so, when i do venture out, i have to make a concerted effort not to be overstimulated by everything that's surrounding me. and that means finding effective and efficient ways of going about shopping and preparing for holiday get togethers. like this latke party!

lists are my favorite way of getting organized. i usually start out with ideas on my notes app on my phone. from there, there's likely another rough draft, but written on paper. if i have the time, i'll go over my list again, and write a final copy. that might sound like a lot of time spent on lists, but it's done over a few days when i can squeak in a minute or 2 to jot an idea down. another thing that helps me streamline is going to one store for everything. and since the holidays are gearing up, i needed to add some dinnerware pieces to our very minimal assortment of all things entertaining.

but if you had told me i could find everything i needed for this latke party at one store (that i would have actually liked), i would have laughed at you. turns out that was totally a possibility. bed bath & beyond has a huge selection of items to choose from, but i found so many things that were totally my style and complimented other pieces i already had in my possession. i already owned some of their pieces from the Artisanal Kitchen Supply collection and love them. so, i decided to go with more of the same dinner and salad plates. because it was an easy-breezy latke party, i wanted the table to be minimal, but still really inviting, and candles usually set that tone without having to think much about a centerpiece. i went with these (baby-safe) electric wax candles that i never thought i would love, but totally do! and because much of the food was going to be brown (potatoes, on potatoes, on potatoes), i used light and airy colors to keep things glowing - whites, light grey, muted green, and these blushy pink napkins. everything came together so much more beautifully than i could have imagined. one stop shopping, truly at its finest :)

these latkes are a bit lacey and delicate, and super crunchy and craggy. they're my great-grandmother, nana helen's recipe that has taken on minor iterations throughout the years, but the core ingredients always stay the same. russet potatoes, onion, enough baking powder and cream of tartar to cover the tip of a butter knife (as per my great nana helen), some salt, and an egg. easy-peasy. a lot of times you'll find horseradish or herbed sour cream to serve with latkes, but i love how those light flavors pair right alongside the potatoes, so i added them to the mix and served them with traditional applesauce, and a (dairy-free) garlicky yogurt sauce, so good 👌🏼 so whether you're making your traditional latkes, my nana helen's latkes, or something else entirely, enjoy the sweet moments with the ones you love.

big huge hanukkah hugs! xo

horseradish, shallot & herb latkes | gf

if you don't like horseradish/or just want a more simple latke, omit the horseradish all together. i call for avocado oil and ghee for cooking the latkes, both have high smoke points so they're great for frying.

| serves 4-6 |

3 russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
4 large shallots
1 large pasture raised egg, whisked
3-4 tablespoons jarred horseradish, drained
3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill, plus more to serve
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
pinch cream of tartar
avocado oil
ghee (optional)

to serve alongside:

unsweetened applesauce
garlicky yogurt sauce (i doubled the recipe)

latke pie

i used this recipe, swapping q potato out for 3 small (or 1 large) parsnip

method

using the course section of a box grater, carefully grate the potato and shallot. using a dishtowel (or cheesecloth) squeeze as much liquid as possible from the potato mixture. place the potato shreds in a large mixing bowl and mix in the egg. then add 3-4 tablespoons horseradish (depending on your preference), herbs, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar and stir until combined.
heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. while it's heating, line a large plate or baking sheet with paper towels, rip a few extra paper towels and set aside to drain the oil from the latkes as you cook.
add 1/4-inch of oil to the hot skillet, add a little knob of ghee if desired (the ghee adds a bit of buttery flavor). once the oil is hot, use a spoon to drop heaping tablespoons of latke mix into the hot skillet, use the spoon to spread the mixture a bit. cook 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp. transfer to paper towels to drain, and repeat with the remaining mixture.
eat right away or keep warm in the oven. serve with more chopped dill (optional), and sour cream and/or applesauce.

this post was sponsored by bed bath & beyond

similar recipes:

baked purple kale, cilantro & spaghetti squash cakes

roasted sweet potato wedges w/ green yogurt sauce

Creamy Horseradish Potato Salad w/ Pickled Shallots & Dill | Vegan / June 29, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Creamy Horseradish Potato Salad w/ Pickled Shallots & Dill | dolly and oatmeal #vegan

if there were ever a kind of food i could just eat, and eat, and eat, i would say that california fare would be my everyday go-to. it almost seems like you can taste the difference in the food that restaurants prepare, as if their ingredients haven't been flown in from thousands of miles away, but grown only a few miles from where their destination would end up being. i feel like there's a natural ease to the way dishes are made - a simplicity that's complex, but uncomplicated.

during my last trip there a couple of months ago i scored reservations at gjelina. after purchasing their cookbook months prior, all i wanted to do was go there and eat from their menu! and since my sister-in-law and i were both pregnant, it was the perfect time to indulge in some perfectly made veg-centric appetizers and some bites of their insanely delicious pizza. we started off with a few salad apps: summer squash with za'atar and tomatoes, roasted yams with yogurt and scallions, and my fave - a horseradish potato salad with pickled red onions that was off the chain!

you may have noticed that i have a thing for potato salad (seen here and here), but there's a very specific potato salad that really makes my tastebuds grin, and that's a mildly creamy, kinda tangy, and crunchy potato salad. this time around i riffed gjelina's version and made an everyday, vegan version made with cultured coconut yogurt flavored with a pungent kick of horseradish, some good dijon and dill. and paired with pickled shallots for some mega crunch and sharp flavor. it comes close to one my mom used to prepare in the summer months which had a similarly acidic undertone using mayo, dijon, vinegar, and red onion, but i would say this version here is even better - that horseradish and those crunchy shallots are just too good!

this is the kind of food (pregnant or not) that i crave on the regular - especially during the warm summer months when we're bbq'n, packing up for a beach day, or bringing dishes to friends or family get togethers. these simple, uncomplicated summer dishes are what i look so forward to! i hope you do as well :)

xo's!

*oh! and don't forget to stop by every friday for my new summer blog series: summer fridays! this week i'm going to be sharing my go-to fancy (but not really fancy) mocktail that i've been surviving on in lieu of popping bottles of rosé. but for those of you who are not growing a tiny human, the recipe is totally adaptable for making it good and boozy ;)

creamy horseradish potato salad w/ pickled shallots & dill | v

adapted from gjelina: cooking from venice california

the pickled shallots can be replaced by thinly shaved shallots or red onion, but if you have the ingredients and time, i think the pickling is well worth it.

| serves 4 |

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, cut in half
fine sea salt

pickled shallots

2 cups filtered water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4-5 shallots, sliced thin
3 thyme sprigs

horseradish sauce

1/2 cup unsweetened cultured coconut yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
fine sea salt & fresh pepper

method

place potatoes and a few pinches of salt in a pot and cover with about 1-inch of water. bring to a boil, cover and turn heat to low, simmer for 12-15 minutes, until potatoes are firm but tender. drain potatoes and rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking. spread them out on a dish towel and allow them to cool and dry.
make the pickled shallots. combine the water,vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a small pot. bring to a boil, then lower heat and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
while the vinegar mixture is simmering, place the shallots and thyme in a large heat-proof glass jar (like a Ball jar), then pour the brine over top and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before using, or up to 1 month in the fridge.
make the sauce. whisk together the yogurt, dill, mustard, horseradish, and salt and pepper to taste.
in a large bowl, combine the potatoes, sauce, and about 1/4 cup of pickled shallots. toss to coat evenly. garnish with extra dill and/or nasturtium leaves.