Tasty Bites: Scalloped Potatoes and Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad

By Beth V

Whether you are hosting an Easter meal or taking a dish to share with family and friends, I hope you will try and enjoy these two recipes. The scalloped potatoes recipe comes from Julia Child. It amazes me how potatoes, butter, salt, pepper, shredded cheese and cream + time in the oven come together to create such amazing flavor and texture. The secret is low heat and slow cooking. These humble ingredients are magically transformed into something much greater than the sum of their parts.

The Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad is my favorite salad for spring. Spinach, thinly sliced red onion, sliced strawberries, crumbled feta cheese and toasted walnuts topped with a creamy poppy seed dressing - another example of simple flavors that come together in a unique and delicious way.

If you have a food processor, the scalloped potatoes really couldn’t be easier. Peel 2 pounds of red or Yukon gold potatoes. Using the slicing attachment of a food processor, slice them approximately 1/8 inch thick. I like to cut a tiny bit off the end of the potato so that it sits flat on the slicing blade and the slices are nice and even. This process takes about one minute and you are left with beautiful, even slices of potato. Even if they weren’t perfectly even, this dish is very forgiving and it all sort of becomes one, so do not worry too much about it.

Now, select a ceramic or metal dish that can withstand a short time on the stovetop and then go into the oven. I used my round ceramic baking dish, a cast iron or enamel casserole would also work. Rub one tablespoon of butter all over the bottom and sides of the dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with potatoes, allowing them to slightly overlap. Sprinkle salt, pepper, sprinkle with Swiss cheese and dot with butter. To get the butter “dots”, I sliced the butter into tablespoons and then sliced each piece into four squares. Use about 3-5 “dots” per layer of potatoes. If your pan is deeper and more narrow, use less because you’ll end up with more layers. If your pan is wider and more shallow, use more per layer. Now, make another layer, slightly overlapping, adding salt, pepper and butter dots. Repeat again. Continue repeating until your potatoes are gone, adding remaining cheese, salt, pepper and butter over the final layer. Now, pour the 1 ¼ cups cream over the entire dish.

We are going to bring this to just under a simmer over medium heat on the stovetop. You do not want it to bubble at all. I allowed mine to heat through until it just started to make some noise, but I couldn’t see actual bubbles. Now, transfer to a preheated 300-degree oven and allow to bake for 1 to 1 ¼ hours until the potatoes have absorbed the cream and the top is lightly browned. Mrs. Child recommends watching the dish and turning the heat down as necessary to prevent the dish from bubbling and the cream from curdling. I confess that with three small children, I wasn’t quite able to keep up with this requirement. Mine was bubbly after an hour and it was just as delicious. The top is slightly crunchy in spots and the inside is so moist and tender. You will surprised how flavorful this is. The recipe calls for Swiss cheese, but the finished dish doesn’t have any hint of strong Swiss cheese flavor. I think it allows the other flavors to shine through. My husband just couldn’t stop sampling this.

If you are hosting Easter dinner, you are probably looking for a couple of more time intensive dishes and then you are looking to round out the meal with some easy, yet special dishes. This strawberry poppy seed salad is really beautiful, yet quick and easy and amazingly yummy. I like to use a large platter instead of a bowl. It makes for a beautiful presentation and also provides the right ratio of leaves and toppings.

Line a platter with spinach leaves. Next, scatter some very thinly sliced red onion over the leaves. Evenly distribute sliced strawberries over the leaves and onions. Then, sprinkle crumbled feta cheese and then chopped, walnuts. You can either toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat just until fragrant if you have the time, or you can leave them untoasted. Either way is really delicious, though toasting adds even more flavor. To save time, use one of the many varieties of creamy poppy seed dressing available at the grocery store. I usually use  Brianna’s brand. Drizzle the dressing in a zig-zag motion over the salad. It’s beautiful and so tasty.

Far from being the focus of Easter, I hope these recipes will help you enjoy the time of celebration as you gather around the table with family and friends. He is risen! What better reason for celebration!

Scalloped Potatoes
From Julia Childs Mastering the Art of French Cooking

4 tablespoons butter

2 lbs red or Yukon gold potatoes,
sliced 1/8 inch thick

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

1 ¼ cups whipping cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Smear 1 tablespoon of butter around the bottom and sides of your baking dish (approximately 10 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep). Arrange layers of potatoes, sprinkling each layer with salt, pepper and cheese, then dotting with butter. Sprinkle remaining salt, pepper, cheese and butter over top layer. Pour cream over the potatoes and then bring to just below a simmer over medium heat on the stovetop.

Transfer baking dish to the oven and allow to cook for 1 to 1 ¼ hours until the top is lightly browned and the potatoes have absorbed the cream.

Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad

Fresh spinach leaves from the salad aisle

Thinly sliced red onion

Sliced strawberries

Crumbled feta cheese

Walnuts (toasted over medium heat in a dry skillet, if desired)

Bottled creamy poppy seed dressing

Arrange ingredients in the order listed on a large platter. Serve and enjoy!

Beth is a stay-at-home mom of three wonderfully active children ages seven, four and one. She is married to Jason V (who also writes for us here at MAD21) and spends her days teaching, changing diapers, sweeping up Cheerios, stepping over Legos, keeping peace among the kids, and enjoying the creative outlet of cooking.