roasted potatoes with burrata and many, many herbs

Dinner parties are all about stories. Stories about the guests, stories about the ingredients, stories about the environment we are in, and the list goes on. The stories that I tell at parties are based around the ingredients being the characters. Here is an example. My friends at Spade and Clover farm in John's Island harvest the most dreamy potatoes this time of year. From fingerling potatoes to masquerade potatoes, there is a delicious abundance. My mom made double-stuffed potatoes on special occasions when we were growing up, often filled with crispy bacon and melty cheese (we were allowed to splurge and eat the orange cheddar once in a blue moon). Potatoes and cheese have been a dynamic duo to me ever since. Olinda olive oil takes these taters to the next level. I toss the potatoes in a Sicilian salmoriglio sauce, a citrusy, garlic-packed marinade that will make your whole kitchen smell irresistibly good. My recipe below is all about potatoes and cheese. Here you have it: Roasted potatoes with burrata and many, many herbs.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish or vegetable course

2-3 pounds potatoes of your choosing, scrubbed and cut into 1/4th inch discs

4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated

Kosher salt, to taste

2 lemons, juiced (reserve the zest for later)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, I use Olinda olive oil, more or less if you'd prefer, plus some for greasing the pan

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

2-4 tablespoons scallions or chives, thinly sliced

8 oz burrata cheese, torn

Preheat your oven to 425F.

Line a large baking sheet or two with foil and spray with baking spray or a little bit of olive oil. In a big bowl, combine the garlic, salt, juice of 2 lemons, olive oil and black pepper. It should emulsify, meaning the acidic lemon juice should create a homogeneous mixture with the olive oil and lemon with no separation. Toss in the potatoes, making sure to thoroughly coat each side. Spread the potatoes onto the baking sheet, making sure they are in one even layer. Please use two baking sheets if needed to give the potatoes enough space to get crispy and beautiful. Bake for 20 minutes or so, then flip them over and cook for 20 minutes more until golden and slightly charred. Adjust the timing as needed based on your own oven. Remove the oven and using a spatula, carefully flip them all around to be sure that none start to stick to the foil as they cool.

Transfer the potatoes onto a serving platter and decorate with the herbs, burrata and lemon zest.

An extra drizzle of Olinda olive oil never hurts!