That kid...

In third grade, we had a kid in class that would bring blue tortilla chips to school in his lunch. We all thought he was crazy (sorry Donegal) and teased him unmercifully.

Jack is going to be that kid.

We are lucky to be part of Baker County's first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program called Horsepower Organics. In case you are wondering, the program works by members buying a share in the farm for the season. This lets the farmers know how much produce to grow and gives them a guaranteed price for the efforts. I love it because we receive fresh, organic produce every week. However, I was not ready for what we got last week.

As I was pulling out produce from our wooden bin, I noticed some potatoes on the bottom. They did not look like regular potatoes and when I cut them open, they were purple. So exciting! Purple potatoes! Even more exciting, I found a recipe specifically for purple potatoes. So here it is, purple fork-mashed potatoes with garlic-chicken skewers.

Michael Anthony’s Fork-Crushed Purple Majesty Potatoes
New York Magazine

1 lb. Purple Majesty Potatoes, washed
4 small shallots, minced
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
6 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel to taste
White pepper to taste
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

In a large pot, cook potatoes with skins on in heavily salted boiling water until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Remove potatoes from pot, and peel them while still warm. (1) Place potatoes in a large bowl and, using a fork, gently smash them, maintaining a fairly chunky consistency. (2) Fold in minced shallots, lemon juice, olive oil, fleur de sel, and white pepper. (3) Finish with parsley. Serves 4.


Garlic-Mustard Chicken Skewers

Garlic-Mustard Glaze
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes about 3/4 cup of glaze, or enough to cover and baste two pounds of skewered meat.

1/4 cup whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before using.

Grilled Chicken skewers
4 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
12 6-inch wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes (I used 8 skewers)

Marinate cubed chicken in garlic-mustard glaze for 30 minutes. Skewer than grill.



Supposedly these spuds have an abnormal amount of antioxidants and other good things. Just in case you were wondering.



Jack thinks they taste good...then again, he thinks his sock is pretty tasty too.