French Provencal Menu

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Tarragon Butter. This is my creation of the day. the rest of the recipes on this menu are tried and true for years.
I am not so impressed with this as regular potato gnocchi But I will say it is very good, just too heavy for me. I think I will work on this and figure out how to lighten it up, as sweet potato is very gooey and requires more flour than regular potato to make it into little pastries.

The menu is a basic quiche with a grated potato crust instead of flour, an assortment of steamed and raw veggies with garlic mayonnaise (aioli)  and the gnocchi.  I am not purposely mixing French and Italian recipes, its just that they are both Medittaranean, and therefore very similar. Especially when looking at Provencal (south of France) recipes and Italian, there is the slightest variations as both use the same ingredients, tomato, olive oil, fish. Its the cheeses that seem to separate these two foods apart.
What makes this really French however, is the use of tarragon. If you have never had it, its probably because you have not had authentic  French food. Anyway I introduced sweet potato, which is distinctly American. The tarragon butter is my idea, a variation from the standard sage butter that I usually see with sweet potato pasta.  I am purposely not including here bread and wine, as I am not wanting to encourage you the reader to eat these things, which I feel would best be enjoyed on holidays and special occasions if you choose to do so. For everyday eating this is festive enough and very healthy as well. Enjoy!

French Menu for Four

Rapee Morvandelle.

(Quiche with potato crust)

3 large or 4 medium organic potatoes

organic salted butter

5 organic large eggs

1/2 cup organic half and half cream

1 cup grated organic gruyere or swiss cheese

1 organic onion chopped

1 cup sliced organic white button mushrooms

3 cloves crushed or finely chopped cloves of garlic.

2 tsp dried tarragon  
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 420. Peel the potatoes and grate the potatoes. Squeeze out a handful at a time to get rid of the excess moisture. Generoulsy butter a quiche or 10 inch pie plate. Put the grated potato in the plate and press around to form a crust, including the sides of the plate as well. Pat firmly making sure there are no bare spots.  Place this in the oven and bake for around 20-30 minutes till its visibly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven

Reset temperature to 350. In a skillet add about 2 tbsp of the butter, onion and mushroom. Saute on medium heat til onion is soft (around 7-10 minutes) , then add the garlic and tarragon, and saute for only 3-5 more minutes. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl put eggs and cream. Whisk til smooth. When the vegetable mixture has cooled add it to the bowl. Last add the grated cheese, salt and pepper. 

Pour into the potato crust and bake for about 40 minutes. When it is slightly firm to the touch in the middle it is done. The potato crust if showing should be browned. 

Sweet Potato gnocchi

One large organic sweet potato (a yam is the same thing)

1 cup organic spelt or whole wheat flour

one egg 

1 tsp salt

Tarragon butter

 Cut a the yam into 2 inch chunks and boil in small pot of water til soft. Remove and drain. Let cool thoroughly. Place this in a bowl and smash it with a fork til completely smooth.  Add the egg  1/2 cup of the flour and salt.  Mix this together with the fork til smooth. Its quite sticky so add enough flour to reduce the stickiness  enough to make small balls of it in your palms.  In a separate bowl add more flour. Take a teaspoon at a time, and place in the bowl and coat with the flour. Press your thumb in the center of the ball and indent til the sides are touching. Set aside on another plate. Get a large pot of water boiling. Drop the gnocchis in the pot and watch to see the water resume boiling. The gnocchis should now be rising to the surface. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Place in a serving bowl. Drizzle with the tarragon butter

Tarragon butter.

 3 tbsp organic salted butter

1 tbsp dried tarragon 
Melt the butter in a small saucepan, or in a bowl placed over boiling water. Rub the tarragon in the palms of your hands til its powdered. Mix this in the butter, heating til the aroma of the tarragon is heightened.  Pour over the gnocchis. 

Crudites aux Aoili

(Mixed vegetables with Mayonnaise dip)

Okay, crudites are traditionally raw, but here I mix raw with steamed. I like the combination of colorful vegetables as well as the textures. 

1 cup each of 

Brocolli flowerets about one inch pieces with stems removed

Cauliflower flowerets (prepare same as above)

Brussel Sprouts cut in half lengthwise

6 asparagus spears cut in half and steamed slightly

6 Green onions trimmed

1 large Carrot cut into 3 inch strips about 1/4 inch thick

12 whole Cherry tomatoes

1/2 zucchini sliced on the diagonal

Steam the first three veggies in a steamer, double boiler, or in just a little water. Remove from heat when the broccoli is very green. Let sit in the pot but make sure no water is touching the veggies. Cover for about 10 minutes more. They will cook slightly more with the heat off now to perfection. 
On a large serving plate, separate the veggies into piles to create a display of them in a pleasing way, and put a dish of the aoili in the center. Let people pick form the plate in a communal fashion rather than dishing  them onto their own plates. 

Aoili 
(Garlic Mayonnaise)

3 cloves chopped or pressed fresh garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon (not concentrate!)
1 tsp raw honey
Himalayan or Celtic sea salt 
1 organic egg yolk
1 cup cold press virgin organic olive oil
1 cup organic cold press (if available) grapeseed oil

Extra Virgin Olive oil if used straight up, creates a bitter mayonnaise so I included a bland grapeseed but you can substitute that for any number of good organic oils such as sunflower, peanut or safflower. I like grapeseed because I can't get the other kind.  Just don't use corn, soy or canola (GMO). You can also use a lighter olive oil if you wish. 
 In a large stainless bowl add all but the oils.  Whisk til well blended. Drizzle the oil in very slowly. You might just add a few drops at a time til you get the hang of this process. Stop and whisk well after each addition of drops to make sure the oil and egg are emulsifying. Do this for about 2 minutes. 
Then you can add about 2-3 tbsp at a time and whisk til blended each addition. The mixture should get thicker and thicker with each addition of oil. Taste for flavorings and add accordingly more sweet, sour or salt. Put in glass jar and store in fridge. will remain good to use for about a week. After that it starts separating. You can take it out and mix it anew if you like, but probably you will use it up by then.