Peruvian Purple Potatoes

EAT YOUR COLOURS

I really like colorful food ~ vibrant squash, heirloom tomatoes, black garlic, peppers, beans, salts (the list is endless). Germans call them truffle potatoes. Upon opening the pack it’s easy to see these are from the ancient Andes culture called Peruvian purple. They have a very long history stretching continents.The skin is dark, almost black and spotted with many eyes. Inside is a vibrant purple flesh. After cooking them the skin becomes almost dark grey and the flesh is an amazing deep purple. These Peruvian purples are the mealiest of all the fingerlings. They are great roasted or fried. Mix them with redskin and white potatoes for a vibrant potato salad. I like mine with a simple vinaigrette tossed with steamed green beans. I recently saw them on a menu in Potsdam, Germany close to where I live in Berlin. They served them boiled with quark (German sort of cottage cheese).

However you serve them they’ll make your next meal dazzle with colour. Not only that, they taste ummm really much like a normal potato!

When purchasing make sure to buy ones that are plump and not shrivelled, no sprouting eyes, soft spots or blemishes. Don’t store them in the frig because the starch will turn to sugar and they will become sweet. They’ll keep at room temp or in a cool place for approx 2 weeks. Your extra tip for today is to keep them away from onions and uncooked broccoli because they will decay more quickly from the gas that those veggies give off. That not only goes for potatoes but, in fact, any type of veggie.

PERUVIAN PURPLES (aka Truffle Potatoes) – serves approx 2
6-8 potatoes (in general they are all small potatoes)
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsely (or any mix of fresh washed herbs)
salt and pepper fresh ground from the mill

Boil the potatoes or steam for 10 minutes (til done). On draining you will see they dry very quickly. Quarter them and mix with the remaining ingredients. Enjoy!