Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Green Beans with a Tarragon Cream Dressing

As the weather cools down and the days get shorter our bodies start to crave all of those delicious fall and winter staples that have gotten humankind through winters for thousands of years. Among the classics are potatoes (harvested in the fall).  Roasting the potatoes in the oven is simple and tasty. As we’ve learned in a previous cooking lesson, tarragon can bring a wow factor to your dish. This recipe is a simple, yet impressive dish to serve alongside a special meal. I’m not going to lie, I was tempted to lick the cream sauce off my plate. In the spirit of full disclosure I’ll admit that I waited until I ate some leftovers and then licked the plate clean.

Ingredients

2 pounds fingerling potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cracked pepper

1 pound green beans

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cracked pepper

Tarragon Cream Dressing

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cracked pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons chives

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cut fingerling potatoes in half, lengthwise. Coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Place potatoes cut side up on a jelly roll pan.

3. Trim and snap green beans. Coat with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Place green beans on another jelly roll pan.

4. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until soft and browned.

5. Halfway through the potato baking time, put in the green beans and roast those for about 15 minutes, until softened slightly.

6. While the potatoes and green beans are baking, make the tarragon cream sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and whisking together.

7. Combine green beans and potatoes on a serving platter. Serve drizzled with tarragon cream dressing or serve it on the side.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living

You say po-tay-toe I say po-taw-toe…. Let’s talk potatoes!

When cooking potatoes be sure that your pieces are of equal sizes so that they will cook evenly. The smaller the piece, the faster it will cook.

Did you know that the potato originates from Southern Peru? At some point, 7,000-10,000 years ago somebody in Southern Peru decided to domesticate the potato. They are starchy, but can be a basis for a diet that sustains life. It does have some nutritional value. That doesn’t mean you should go on a french fry diet though.

There are more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes, but you’ll probably only see a handful of them in your grocery store. They can be eaten in such a variety of ways the possibilities are endless. They just really shouldn’t be eaten raw.

Fingerling potatoes are just a small potato that grows long and thin, like fingers. They can be a bit more pricey than your average spud. A great substitution is red potatoes, or another small potato variety.

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