Monday, May 14, 2012

Mascarpone and Watercress Potato Cakes



When I lived in Arizona I guess I took it for granted the availability of fresh products that I could always incorporate into dishes without them negatively impacting my food budget.   I am happy to say that I am starting to see fresh, locally grown products filling the market at reasonable prices which gets my creative culinary juices spinning with ideas for new dishes.   Join me on the journey to cook fresh!  Our first stop utilizes watercress which is a member of the cabbage family that incorporates a somewhat peppery flavor into a dish.  I thought it would be a nice accompaniment to a potato cake.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pound Potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
1 Sweet Yellow Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1/2 Lbs Watercress
1/2 Cup Mascarpone
2 Tablespoons Light Cream
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper


Preparation
  1. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks.  Place potatoes in a microwaveable bowl, add the chicken stock, cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Place bowl in microwave and heat until the potatoes are fork tender. Uncover and set aside to cool
  2. Peel and dice onion, mince garlic, stem the watercress
  3. In saute pan, add enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of pan.  Add onions and garlic, salt and pepper to taste and cook until translucent.  Add watercress and cook until it is wilted.  Remove from heat
  4. Once potatoes are cooled, with a fork or masher break the potatoes into smaller chunks.  Add the onion, garlic, watercress and mascarpone to the potatoes and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Preheat oven to 175 Degrees
  6. Shape the potato mixture into cakes.(approximately 1 1/2 -2 inches in diameter)
  7. On stovetop on medium high heat, in a large saute pan add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  Add potato cakes and cook until they are golden brown on both sides (approximately 3-4 minutes) If need be, work in batches and place the browned potato cakes in the preheated oven on a greased sheet pan
  8. Season with salt and pepper and serve
Enjoy!



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