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Warm Potato, Sausage & Goat Cheese Salad
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Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
The Pie Place Café
The café faces the harbor (as seen reflected in the glass) in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
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Bob Berg
Kathy Rice
Excerpted from the award-winning "The Pie Place Café Cookbook, Food & Stories Seasoned by the North Shore," written by Kathy Rice and published by Lake Superior Port Cities Inc.
It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food, security and love, are so mixed and mingled and intertwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and the hunger for it … and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied … and it is all one.
– from the Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher
When our family first came to Grand Marais, Minnesota, we lived in a little cabin clinging to the rocky shore of Lake Superior.
“Isolation Cabin,” as we lovingly called it, was nestled among the trees. We spent many happy hours in that tiny dwelling engaged in conversation, creating and writing, cooking and admiring our surroundings.
One early summer day, we celebrated a birthday for Mary, one of our family members.
The surprise party involved a theatrical orchestration, creating a dining room among the birch and pines – a gauzy white tent billowing from branch to branch, appointed with wicker furniture and a white tablecloth laden with china, crystal and silverware.
We painted a colorful wooden backdrop and performed a much-shortened version of “Much Ado About Nothing” on the weathered wooden deck of the cabin.
Though we lacked the old English accents, I believe Shakespeare would have applauded our heartfelt attempt.
In our diminutive kitchen (though the word “kitchen” seems too optimistic), we prepared a sumptuous five-course repast that in my memory remains one of the best ever tasted. Seated among her eager “chefs,” Cheryl Polson orchestrated the amazing score of dishes that she’d selected and we’d prepared together. Like a dance, we maneuvered within the confines of the tiny space to create a memorable meal and experience.
It was while we were having dessert and coffee that evening that our conversation turned to our dreams for the future.
“If we ever own a restaurant,” said someone, “the warm potato, sausage and goat cheese salad would be great to serve!”
We didn’t know then that dream would become a reality.
We’ve learned a lot about food since that birthday dinner years ago.
Cheryl devoured cookbooks, using their inspiration to create tasty and nurturing homecooked gourmet meals to feature at The Pie Place.
Crafting the menu as finely as the food, she shaped the words as only she could, like poetry. Her culinary descriptions made you want to try each one and certainly made our guests ask to please keep the menu to read even after they’d ordered. Cheryl’s passion for food and her love of people led us to fashion a restaurant where customers feel like – and to us actually are – family.
As our guests so often tell us, “Your restaurant is like coming home for dinner.”
That is one of the best heart-cheering compliments we can receive.
Cheryl taught us that food is only one way that we feed each other. So many ingredients go into preparing an extraordinary meal, but we at The Pie Place believe the first ingredient must always be love.
Warm Potato, Sausage & Goat Cheese Salad
Serves 6
- 1 lb. fresh sausages of your choice, such as sweet or spicy Italian or bratwurst
- salt
- 2 lbs. white, red or yellow-fleshed potatoes, unpeeled, well-scrubbed and cubed, we often use fingerling potatoes, which are excellent, but use them whole
- 3/4 c. crumbled goat cheese, we use Gjetost and love the sweet, nutty flavor
- 1 bunch red leaf lettuce for garnish, we like organic field greens
The dressing:
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped and divided
- 1 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 3/4 c. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Preheat a broiler or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Place the sausages on a broiler pan or grill rack and broil or grill, turning to cook evenly, until done – about 10 minutes, depending upon the sausage. Let cool, then cut on the diagonal into 1-inch thick slices. Place in a bowl.
Meanwhile, fill a large pot three-fourths full with water and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste and boil the potatoes until tender, but slightly resistant when pierced – 25 to 30 minutes. Don’t overcook! Drain and let cool slightly. Cut into 1-inch cubes and add to the sausages.
To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the shallot, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, chives, basil, mustard, lemon juice and vinegar. Whisk to mix well. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, in a thin stream, whisking continuously. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the dressing over the potatoes and sausage and mix gently. Taste again for seasoning. Add the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the parsley and toss gently.
Line a serving dish with lettuce leaves and spoon the salad on top. Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and serve immediately.