I’ve tried the raw kale and avocado salad and absolutely loved it, but the roasted fennel with cranberries and chestnuts didn’t do it for me. Also good were the indian spiced scrambled eggs with cilantro-jalapeno sauce, and gold beet barley risotto, but the indonesian corn fritters and grape and ginger chicken were mediocre. I’ve also tried the apple pomegranate sangria, the nutty banana shake, the green smoothie, and the rhubarb and pistachio yogurt, with mixed results.

Cookbook of the Month - Lucid Food

Cookbook of the Month - Lucid Food

The fact that my friends with whom I shared this on my summer picnics loved it so much that I never had leftovers to bring home didn’t help the photo-taking aspect either.  When I was flipping through Lucid Food the other day though, noting which recipes I’d tried and which ones were on my short list, I realized that this recipe really doesn’t have any ingredients that are particularly seasonal – olives, potatoes, eggs, walnuts, celery…, summery fare and we’re in the middle of the winter.

Cookbook of the Month - Lucid Food

Eggs and New Potatoes with Green Olive Pesto

Serves 3.

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 TBS white vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 1/2 c. cubed new potatoes
  • 1/4 c. packed fresh parsley leaves
  • 3 anchovy filets
  • 6-10 green olives, pitted
  • 1/4 c. walnuts
  • 1 TBS lemon juice
  • 3 TBS olive oil
  • 1 large celery stalks, trimmed and cut into small cubes
  1. Make the pesto: combine parsley, anchovies, olives, walnuts, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add olive oil (in a drizzle while food processor is running if you have a food processor that does that, otherwise all at once) and process until pesto is uniform in texture but not completely smooth.
  2. In a small saucepan, cover eggs with cold water, add vinegar and a generous dash of salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Cover pot, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 1 minute, then turn heat off and let pot sit, covered, for 15 minutes.  Drain hot water off eggs and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle, then peel, discarding shells, and chop hard-boiled eggs into small pieces.  Add to a large bowl.
  3. Cover the potato cubes with cold water and add a dash of salt, then bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Drain and toss with eggs.  Add celery pieces and pesto to bowl and toss together.  Serve at room temperature or cold.  Keeps for 2-3 days in fridge.

Dining and Cooking