Purple Peruvian potatoes, a delight at the
table. Photo by Mona Makela | IST.

Both chefs and nutritionists advise adding color to each meal. Chefs like brightly-colored foods for aesthetics as well as flavor; nutritionists like them for their powerful antioxidants, such as lycopene and anthocyanin.*

It doesn’t get more colorful than red: beets, bell peppers, cherries, chiles, cranberries, raspberries, red graperfruit, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon are alluring to the eye as well as the palate.

The blue-purple group is equally appealing if much smaller, consisting largely of blueberries, blackberries and purple potatoes, also known as purple Peruvian potatoes† and blue potatoes.

Think of the different ways you can combine both shades. The recipe below combines red beets with purple potatoes for a delicious riot of color.

A BITE OF POTATO HISTORY

Potatoes originated in Peru. Millennia ago, they grew wild in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Along with many other varieties of potatoes, they were cultivated around 3,000 B.C.E. by the Incas.

Imagine European cuisine without potatoes! But there were none until the Spanish conquistadors reached the shores of Montezuma’s empire (modern-day Mexico) in 1519. Potatoes sailed back to Spain a few years later (see the history of potatoes).

The starch level is medium, so purple Peruvians are an all-purpose potato. They have a creamy texture and are rich in flavor. Try them baked, broiled, fried or mashed to add color and style to your meals. We turn them into a red, white and blue July 4th potato salad (with white potatoes and grape tomatoes); and make purple potato chips as a glamorous garnish to main courses.

Creamy and earthy-tasting (like russet potatoes), some varieties have a nutty flavor. The color is very dramatic, although some varieties become a lighter lavender shade after cooking.

Once a rarity, purple potatoes can now be found markets nationwide. There’s also a purple-fleshed “Okinawan” sweet potato, a staple in Hawaii. Look for it in Asian markets.

*These antioxidants may help with everything from fighting heart disease and prostate cancer to decreasing the risk of stroke and macular degeneration.
†Purple potatoes are now grown around the world.

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

 
Dressing Ingredients

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Steam for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.

2. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl and toss with potatoes, beets and onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper; cover and chill for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

3. Just before serving, lightly toss arugula with potatoes. Sprinkle with walnuts and Parmesan.

Hungry for more?

Here’s another recipe: Peruvian Potatoes With Feta Sauce. It’s comfort food with a pinch of spice.
  

The original smoothie, or yogurt “milkshake,” was lassi, a chilled yogurt drink served savory or sweet, blended with fruit. In much of India, where every day can be hot, it’s a refreshing and nutritious drink.

You can make your own fruit lassi at home, using the blender technique (think of how easy you have it over blenderless households that need to use the ancient technique of puréeing the fruit and blending it in a bowl with a handheld utensil).

This video recipe shows how to make mango lassi (arguably the favorite flavor) with 1 large ripe mango, 1/3 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 cup cold milk and a 1/2 cup of ice, plus a pinch of salt for flavor contrast.

You can vary the fruit, add herbs and spices, and garnish as you wish with a piece of fruit on the rim, herbs (mint, basil) or a shake of cardamom, cinnamon or nutmeg.

SECOND LASSI RECIPE: YOUR FAVORITE FRUIT LASSI

Ingredients

Makes two portions.

 
Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender carafe and blend.

2. Garnish as desired and serve.
 
Keep these recipes on hand for the next hot day!

Your pots won’t boil over with the Spill
Stopper silicone pot lid. Photo courtesy
Kuhn Rikon.

Kuhn Rikon has solved the problem with its silicone Spill Stopper. Use it instead of the regular pot lid. Any liquid that boils up sits in the shallow bowl of the Spill Stopper, waiting for you to turn down the heat.

Microwave and dishwasher safe, the Spill Stopper comes in a choice of three colors—green, red and purple—and two sizes, 10-inches and 12-inches.

You can pick one up wherever Kuhn Rikon products are sold (try Sur La Table), or online at Amazon. The 10-inch Spill Stopper is $24.95, the 12-inch version is $29.95.

If that sounds like more than you want to spend, think of this: No more messy, boiled-over clean-ups.