Butterball Potatoes and Jim Lehrer - Roasted Butterball Potatoes with Rosemary, Apple Cider Vinegar and Olive Oil

Driving across the Bay Bridge last night I was scanning through the radio and the station I ended on was featuring an interview with Jim Lehrer. He was talking about his recovery from aortic valve replacement surgery, and the remedy suggested by his doctor. He was told to make a list of everything that was stressful in his life and to highlight the things that were necessary to keep and the things that he wanted to do. He said making the list changed his life. He became aware of his life. This is a man who is an incredible journalist and reporter, he's world-renowned and respected, but of all his awards and accomplishments, the thing he is most proud of is his career as a novelist. The more he rearranged his list of thing he had to do and the things he wanted to do, the more writing kept creeping up, further and further to the top the list. And so, he wrote.

He's written 20 novels and three plays. He has no concept of what writer's block is. He says he enjoys his life so much more now that he allows the things he wants to do take precedence.

I love this. To see your life written on the page. To confront it and contemplate it. It's scary in a way. It's timely and poignant and selfish in the most important way. And I don't use the word selfish in a negative sense. To be able to make the time and room in your life to do the things you most want to do, and to try as much as possible to make the obligations into desires...I think that must be the secret to it all. It moves so fast, life seems to go by in a minute. As the great philosopher Ferris Buller once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."

So I'm starting mine. Two items on it so far:

• Write. Everyday. And learn to do it well.
  
• To cook for the people I love, as often as possible.
  

So far so good. There's so much more to add, and maybe a few things to remove that aren't as important as I once thought. Suggestions? What's on your list?

Tonight's dinner consisted of a delicious lamb sausage from the farmer's market, grilled peppers and onions and tiny butterball potatoes roasted with rosemary, olive oil and a bit of apple cider vinegar. Topped off with a Lagunitas IPA. Heavenly.



Roasted Butterball Potatoes with Rosemary, Apple Cider Vinegar and Olive Oil
Serves 2

1/2 lb Butterball Potatoes (fingerling or red potatoes will also work)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp rosemary
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Meanwhile, boil water and blanch the potatoes for about a minute. Drain and douse in cold water to stop them from cooking further. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, rosemary and salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve while hot.