It’s that time of year. That time when I trade in my care-free days of breakfast with friends, wandering the farmer’s market and planning our trips to the cottage for setting up my classroom, attending staff meetings and preparing lessons for another school year. I’ve known it was coming for a few weeks now; the overnight temperatures have started to fall, leaves are starting to swirl in the streets and I’m pulling out sweaters in the evenings.
I’m sad to see summer go but I also find myself happily anticipating fall too. Today we had our windows open and as the cool breeze floated in I made my first fall dish (but because I am still relishing the last moments of summer I included corn from the cob and fresh new white potatoes). This recipe is just like me stuck between seasons.
Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
• 6 new white potatoes
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the meat filling:
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots, peeled, diced small
• 2 celery stalks, diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 canned tomatoes chopped
• 1 cup juice from tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped sage leaves
• 1 cob of corn
Directions
Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the milk, sour cream, butter, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon parsley and continue to mash until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the extra virgin olive oil into a sauté pan and set over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the beef, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato juices, worcestershire, parsley, sage, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
Add the corn and celery to the beef mixture and spread evenly into a baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown.
