I love a potluck.
A gathering around food. Each person brings a dish to share with the group. Some will go all in and spend hours stressing over their offering. Others will stop at the grocery store on the way to the venue without any shame. You will also see handed down family recipes and great home cooks just doing their thing.
Either way, each dish is a conversation piece. Old friends, and new friends alike, are tasting, sipping, laughing, and enjoying the moment.
This is what I like to do.
This year, I was invited to a new kind of potluck. New to me, at least. Everyone will cook, and bring their own dish to the party, but it isn’t their own original creation. This is a recipe that is picked from a specific cookbook. One cookbook is chosen for each month, and the group must be faithful to a recipe from that book.
This is “The Cookbook Club.”
Somehow, this kind of gathering has completely escaped me. I was perplexed that I hadn’t thought of it before. It might be because I am a professional cook, and I think of cookbooks a bit differently than others. Either way, I am excited to be a part of it.
It’s the last Sunday in August. We meet on the final Sunday of every month. The book is ultimately chosen by the host, but suggestions are always considered.
This month, we will be cooking from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden.
The Book
Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden is, admittedly, a new book to me. It has been on my radar but I only recently got my own copy for the “Club.”
Chef McFadden writes passionately about how farmers and chefs are natural collaborators. His stories of his early years in big kitchens in big cities reflected mine in some ways, so I gravitated to his writing.
He goes on to offer recommendations of what to stock your larder with. Everything from vinegars and oils, to nuts and grains, as well as pickles and preserves.
The concept of the book is in the title itself. Six Seasons of harvest, instead of four. McFadden describes the bounty of each season and offers recipes to make the most of it.
Season One is Spring. Watching the dreary landscape transform into a fresh, green new world. Peas and asparagus. Artichokes, and fava beans.
Season Two is Early Summer. A week of T-shirt weather may be followed by a string of cool days. We ease into the warmer weather with root vegetables, celery, and early cauliflower.
Season Three is Midsummer. Arriving is the bright green of juicy cucumbers, summer squash, and string beans.
Season Four is Late Summer. Now we get the quintessential hot-weather delights of corn, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers.
Season Five is Fall. The temperatures and the leaves are dropping. Brussels sprouts and braising greens are coming into their prime.
Season Six is Winter. The expectations for fresh produce are low, yet the potatoes, winter squash, and cabbage are stunning.
The Gathering
Since it is the end of August, The Cookbook Club has decided that it would be appropriate to choose a recipe from any of the summer “seasons”. Many of the submissions were made with produce from the amazing farmers markets around Chicago.
For my dish, I decided on the Potato and Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Olives, Feta, and Arugula.
Think potato salad with a 50/50 ratio of potato to cauliflower. It’s lighter and less starchy than a traditional potato salad. The dressing is whipped feta cheese with some olive oil to loosen it up. Briny olives and fruity-spicy Calabrian chilis add powerful punches of flavor. A handful of arugula brings a fresh and peppery bite.
This salad is a winner for sure.
We had about ten people attend this month and about twelve dishes spread across the counter. The wine was flowing, and we were ready to dig in. We like to sit around a large dining table and discuss what we made while we eat.
The spread included:
Fried Zucchini Jojos and Zucchini Pickles
Roasted Pepper Panzanella
Spaghetti with Small Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil and Chiles
Squash Ribbons with Tomatoes, Peanuts, Basil, Mint and Spicy Fish Sauce Sauce
Corn and Tomato Salad with Torn Croutons
Braised Eggplant and Lamb with Yogurt and Spiced Green Sauce
Sweet and Hot Peppers, ‘Nduja, and Melted Cheese
Peperonata
Risotto with Shell Beans, Sausage, and Bitter Greens
This was an amazing spread with an incredible group of friends. All of the dishes were delicious and harmonious as a meal.
The Rendition
I loved the idea of the combined potato and cauliflower so much that I decided to play around with the recipe and create my own rendition.
I swapped a couple of techniques and ingredients to make it my own. For example, I roasted both the cauliflower and the potatoes instead of boiling the potatoes. I also added a ton of herbs to the whipped feta to create a bright dressing not only in flavor, but also in color.
For my version, I swapped scallions for red onion, capers for olives, spinach for arugula, and fresh poblano for my chili element. I also threw in some chickpeas for protein. A big squeeze of lemon would balance everything out.
My professional chef brain saw opportunities to use what I had on hand.
Bright Green Potato and Cauliflower Salad
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
For the whipped green feta:
8 ounces feta cheese in brine
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dill, freshly chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
For the salad:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound new potatoes, rinsed and sliced into bite sized chunks
1 pound cauliflower, cut or broken into bite sized florets
1 bunch of scallions, sliced thin
1 poblano pepper, small dice
1/4 cup capers
15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinced
1 handful of baby spinach
Enough whipped feta to thoroughly coat
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.
2. In a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the whipped feta. Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. On two sheet trays, one for cauliflower and one for potatoes, toss them with the 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper, spread evenly. Roast for about 20-25 minutes or until tender with crispy edges. Let cool.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add the roasted cauliflower and potatoes along with the remaining salad ingredients. Fold together until well coated. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
This salad is easy to put together, shockingly delicious, and a show stopper. The flavors are in balance, the textures are interesting, and the color is gorgeous. It is incredibly healthy as well. Pair it with some grilled chicken or fish, or on its own as a filling lunch.
Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden gave me the inspiration to pair the potato and cauliflower, plus so much more. It provides thoughtful insight on seasonal vegetables and techniques to celebrate them. The book also gave way to an epic gathering in this month's installment of The Cookbook Club.
That is why I love this book.
For more inspiration, join The Chopping Block for a plant-based class. Let’s celebrate vegetables together!
