• 3 lbs small red-skinned potatoes
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp fresh black pepper
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Thyme Roasted New Potatoes

Serves 8.
More a method than a recipe, this is my favorite way to cook potatoes. The secret is not to move them, shake them, or turn them more than once during the cooking.


Preheat oven to 425°F
Dry-brush the potatoes or rub them in a clean dish towel to remove any surface dirt. Use a paring knife to cut away any blemishes. Cut the potatoes into 4-6 bite-size chunks, and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. With your hands, toss the potatoes to coat with the oil and spices, and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Roast at 425F for 30 minutes. Toss quickly with a spatula, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

  • 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1.5 lbs)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (we typically add more)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Makes 24 small slices. Serves 6-10 as an appetizer, or 3-4 for lunch (delicious served with cottage cheese on the side)


Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area.

Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.

While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, one Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for one minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice three times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.