I received a subscription to Bon Appetit from my lovely daughter.  She truly knows me .

This month’s issue has a great recipe for Herbed Biscuits(page 20).  I made them last night to go along with our “Depression Era Meal” inspired by Clara (see previous post).

Coming from almost entirely Irish ancestry, you would think that I would have made fried potatoes before.  I think I have made every other variety – from mashed to au gratin.  I had never attempted to make them cubed and fried though.  And I do love fried hashbrowns at diners.  So, after watching Clara, I decided to whip some up.

I cubed up a number of potatoes and tossed them into my iron skillet with some oil.  I then sliced up two small onions and put those in too. I continued to fry the potatoes and onion until everything was soft and nicely browned.  It took a lot longer than I thought it would.  And I cut up too many potatoes to allow the Polish Sausage I used (instead of Clara’s hot dogs) to fit into the same skillet so I had to cook that up separately.  In the end I heavily seasoned the potatoes with pepper and some salt and plated it all, along with these yummy biscuits.

It was like diner heaven here in my little kitchen!

These biscuits make me wish I had fresh herbs leftover from my garden to use.  The dried herbs were fantastic though.  I am out of parsley and tarragon and substituted rosemary instead.  Very tasty, quick and easy.  And the scent coming from the oven was just to die for!

Paremesan Herb Biscuits

adapted from Bon Appetit, Feb. 2009

2 cups all purpose flour

6 Tbsp. instant dry milk powder

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated (all I had was the canned kind – gasp! – and they turned out great)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. dried tarragon (or rosemary)

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3/4 cup (or more) ice water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Whisk first 9 ingredients in large bowl.  Add butter and cut in with fingertips until course meal forms (well incorporated).  Gradually add ice water and toss until moist clumps form.  Add 1-2 Tbsp. more water if needed to make slightly sticky dough.

Gather dough into a ball and knead a few times on a lightly floured surface.  Using floured hands (dough will be sticky), press dough into a 6X6 inch square.  Cut dough into nine 2″ biscuits. Place biscuits with sides touching on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.