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The Clay Corner Recipes Here you will find a growing list of our favorite tasty and easy recipes! We will always give credit where it is due by telling you where the recipe is from, or what or who inspired it. From time to time we may also share interesting stories, ingredient suggestions and recommended dishes for baking or serving our recipes. Please feel free to print our recipes or email them to your friends! Bon Appetito!

BEST EVER BLUEBERRY MUFFINS Bursting with berries, these are the best blueberry muffins of all! The secret is in the extra 1/2 cup of berries, which are mashed and then added to the batter. 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2-1/2 cups fresh blueberries (mash 1/2 cup with a fork) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup milk 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 regular muffin cups, or use foil or paper baking cups In a medium sized bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in the sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Mix mashed berries into batter. Fold in half the flour with a spatula, then half the milk. Add remaining flour and milk. Fold in remaining blueberries. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg sugar. Bake 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let muffins cool about 30 minutes in pan before removing On the 4th of July serve these on Vietri's Rosso Vecchio Square Platter!   GRILLED POTATO SALAD WITH CHIPOTLE VINAIGRETTE Serves 4 - 6 2 pounds new potatoes Light olive oil, salt and pepper 1 medium sized red onion 1 red pepper 1 garlic clove, finely chopped A handful of fresh arugula Chipotle Vinaigrette (recipe follows) Chopped cilantro to taste Par-boil potatoes for about 20-25 minutes or until barely tender, drain & set aside to cool and then halve or quarter, depending on size Slice onion into 1/2" thick rings and then slice these in half Stem and seed red pepper, then cut lenthwise into 1" thick strips Add the garlic to a little olive oil and toss the potatoes and vegetables separately After preparing your grill, use a grill basket to cook first the potatoes and then the vegetables until tender and grilled on all sides. The onions will become sweet as they cook slowly , so don't hurry too much. As the potatoes and then the vegetables are done, add them to a large salad bowl and toss with the vinaigrette and cilantro. When ready to serve, add the arugula and toss again. This is very good at room temperature or cold, but only add arugula at the last minute. Bon Appetito! Chipotle Vinaigrette 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon Chipotle Puree * 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons light olive oil Combine the vinegar and lime juice in a small bowl. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, Chipotle Puree, garlic, and salt. Slowly whisk in the oil to emulsify. Makes about 1/2 cup * I use canned chipotle chiles packed in adobo sauce. Pureee a whole can at a time in a small food processor and store in the refrigerator. It keeps almost indefinitely, but if you know you'll be storing it for a long time, cover with a thin layer of oil. WHITE/GREEN CHILE CON QUESO Makes 3 cups 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 white or yellow onion, minced 2 Roma tomatoes, minced 1 16 oz carton frozen medium or hot green chiles, thawed, drained and minced* 3 cloves garlic 2 8 oz packages cream cheese Tostada chips Heat oil, add onion, tomato, green chile and garlic. Cook until soft. Drain the mixture in a colander and then place back in pan. Add the cream cheese and mix until melted. Serve in a fondu pot to keep warm. Serve with chips. *If you don't live in the Southwest you probably can't get the terrific chiles that are so readily available there, but the fire-roasted Ortega chiles are a good substitute. (If you do want to be authentic you can go on line to www.buenofoods.com and have them shipped to you. The expensive part is the shipping, but they last a long time in the freezer!) POTATO AND GOAT CHEESE GALETTE Serves 6 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/3 pound goat cheese Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme Preheat oven to 400 degrees Slice scrubbed, unpeeled potatoes 1/8 inch thick and pat dry with a clean cloth. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter to grease bottom and sides of an oven proof skillet (preferably cast iron) Starting fromm the perimeter and working toward the center, cover the bottom of the skillet with a layer of potato slices, overlapping them slightly. Dot the potatoes with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle the cheese ovr the potatoes and flatten with dampened fingers to make an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of the thyme over the cheese. Arrange the remaining potatoes on top, again in overlapping circles. Melt the remaining butter in a small skillet and drizzle over the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the remaining thyme on top. Bake until golden brown and sizzling, about 1 1/4 hours. Let cool for 5 minutes, then invert onto a platter and cut into wedges. Bon Apetito! This is especially good with Lamb "lollipops" or roast chicken! CHOPPED SALAD WITH GRAPES AND MINT Though we've had a wonderfully mild summer so far here in the Sacramento area, I remain committed to collecting great recipes for those "too hot to cook" nights. My new favorite is an unbelievably good chopped salad that was featured in this month's Food & Wine. It has such a wide assortment of ingredients that at first glance I thought it was a stretch. In fact, I probably wouldn't have tried it if Bob hadn't insisted. Alas, Bob was right! It is incredibly tasty and I can't wait to make it again. Don't leave anything out! I've adjusted the quantities just a little... 1 heart of romaine, coarsely chopped 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 1 medium seedless cucumer, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1 cup corn kernals cut from cob 1-2 cups diced cooked chicken (store bought rotisserie chicken is fine!) 1 cup green grapes, halved 3 - 4 ounces french feta cheese, crumbled Put all of this in a large salad bowl (such as one purchased from The Clay Corner!) and toss with dressing! Bon Apetito! Dressing: 3 tablespoons good olive oil 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice salt and freshly ground pepper FILET MIGNON WITH BALSAMIC PAN SAUCE This is a fabulous and simple recipe from Bruce Aidell's Meat Cookbook (my husband's version of the Bible) 2 2" thick filet mignon steaks ( 1-1 1/2 lbs) salt & freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemany 2 tablespoons olive oil For Sauce: 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/4 cup vermouth 1/4 cup beef stock 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon butter salt and freshly ground black pepper Season two perfectly trimed filet steaks with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Rosemary. In a medium heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Put in the steaks and fry them for 4 - 5 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temp should be 120 - 130). Remove and cover loosely to keep warm while you prepare the sauce. Sauce: Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving any meat juices in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and saute the garlic for 15 seconds, stirring. Add the vermouth and scrape up any browned bits. Raise the heat to high and reduce the vermouth to a syrup. Pour in the stock, soy sauce, and vinegar. Boil until the sauce just reduces to a syrup. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Taste for salt and pepper. Pour over the steaks. Bon Apetito!

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