Certainly the vast majority of business at our Chestertown Inn occurs on the weekends. That is simply the way most people live: work Monday through Friday, get away on Saturday and Sunday. For those lucky enough to be retired, or those whose time off is during the week, or perhaps just the independently wealthy among us, getting away during the middle of the week has its perks. While special events and festivals are usually on the weekends and can be lots of fun, there are always crowds and parking can be a hassle. Very often the rates will be lower mid-week, the restaurants are not over booked, and the town feels more authentic: the locals are out and about, your waitress isn’t harried, and your innkeeper has more time to chat!
Another thing we have more time for midweek at Brampton Inn is putzing around in the kitchen. This week we made mini double-baked potatoes with Boursin cheese: a great little savory tea-time item that would never appear on the weekend for a house full of people because they are just too labor intensive to make. But when it’s quiet here at our romantic Maryland bed and breakfast and we have a little extra time on our hands, why not?
Fingerling potatoes are those particularly delicious spuds that grow small and long, looking a little like, well, fingers. They are not baby potatoes, that’s just as big as they get. Their size and shape makes them perfect for little individual snacks, either baked or roasted as a side dish, or as we did here, as an appetizer. There are a lot of steps involved and it can be time consuming, but each step is pretty simple, and they are soooo worth it.
Just bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until tender, but not mushy. Drain and let cool. Slice most of the potatoes in half length wise, but keep a few whole. Using the smallest measuring spoon you have, scoop out a well down the center of each potato half, leaving some flesh around the edges. Collect the bits you’ve scraped out into a bowl. Peel and discard the skin from the whole potatoes you put aside and add it to the bowl. Add a bit of whole butter, some milk or cream, salt, pepper and a healthy scoop of Boursin cheese (or any soft cheese you prefer). Mash as if you were making mashed potatoes. Using a pastry bag with a star tip, pipe the mashed potatoes back into the potato shells (or if you don’t have a pastry bag handy, simply spoon the mashed spuds back into the well). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and perhaps a little chopped fresh parsley.
At this point, you can cover them and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 7-1o minutes, or until slightly browned on top. Enjoy!