Add black pepper and a few snippets of Italian parsley to the steamed potatoes before pouring on a few tablespoons of the dressing; toss, and serve this flavorful spring comfort food warm, at room temperature or cold.

Photo: steamed new potatoes with parsley and garlic lemon dressing © linda dalal sawaya 2015

Sadly my asparagus crop, with only two plants, barely produces a stalk every few days, so I added today's solo offering to those I purchased to also steam and dress with my favorite Lebanese dressing of garlic, salt, lemon and olive oil. This easy to prepare spring time favorite can also be served warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Photo: steamed asparagus with parsley and garlic lemon dressing © linda dalal sawaya 2015
 

The two together make an excellent pairing with grilled fish, chicken, kebabs, or a vegetarian lentil entree.

Photo: Lebanese style asparagus and potatoes © linda dalal sawaya 2015

Here's how to make our basic garlic paste using a wooden mortar and pestle for hommous, for this dressing for salads, and for vegetables. 

Chop the garlic, add sea salt, and mash into a paste before adding fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. I make a big jar of this and keep it on hand and ready to use.

Photo: chopped garlic and sea salt © linda dalal sawaya 2015

On my trip to Lebanon last fall, I was reminded how potatoes are revered in my parents' homeland. I do remember mama's french fries that were regularly featured on our dining table in LA. Lebanese potatoes are mammoth in size as shown in this Beirut street cafe offering.

Photo: Beirut cafe potatoes © linda dalal sawaya 2015

Almost every meal I was invited to in our village of Douma included french fried potatoes, but the amazing luxury of these was that they were fried in pure, local olive oil. Lebanon is ancient olive growing country; here's one that is several thousand years old that I stopped to photograph on the way to visit my parents' village of Douma. My cousin showed me his basement of stored olive oil: several 50 gallon drums of this liquid gold which was used unsparingly on the fabulously healthy french fries, and which I longed to bring back in my suitcase. Sadly, wisdom prevailed regarding the realities of international travel.

Photo: ancient olive tree in Bechealeh, Lebanon © linda dalal sawaya 2015

Vegan lunch with french fries at my cousin's home in Douma.  

Photo: © linda dalal sawaya 2015

Another fabulous Lebanese way of cooking potatoes is batata harra, literally meaning spicy potatoes. The Beirut cafe Ta Marbouta, close to the American University, is an excellent and popular eatery, famous for its batata harra among others. Of course, I had to order them, along with their amazing yalangi, stuffed vegetarian eggplant, and fattoush, another traditional Lebanese salad. 

Batata harra, which I have yet to make, uses parboiled potatoes, lots of garlic, red chili pepper, cilantro, sautéed in olive oil. All of this makes me "homesick" for a return trip to Lebanon this year. And now I wish I had left those potatoes in the ground so I could use them for batata harra! I have some organic sweet potatoes, and I imagine it would be wonderful with them as well as with white or yellow or red potatoes. Potatoes are an ancient, internationally loved food, so I hope you find and enjoy some new potatoes from the farmers' market or your garden this week. Sahtein!