Smashed Blue Potatoes - another red, white and blue 4th of July party dish!

Hi All!

Tonight I realized that the problem with most blue foods is that they just don't stay as blue as you'd like. Blue string beans, for example, end up looking just like the green ones when cooked. And the smashed blue potatoes had some odd color variations - if you're going to "eat with your eyes first," put the chive sour cream on top, along with a spoonful of the cold tomato chili sauce. This set of instructions is for about 6-10 small blue potatoes.

For the sour cream - chop up some fresh chives (no dried, please) into 1/8 inch segments. A kitchen shears is good for this. Mix in about 1/2 cup sour cream and add more chives to taste. Hold the salt - there will be enough elsewhere.

For the cold tomato chili sauce: Dice one medium tomato, seeds and juice included, and place in a bowl. Dust generously with ancho chili powder and a little chili powder (that's a blend), and add a squeeze of lime. I chopped in some young, mild jalapenos. To lower the heat, feel free to remove the stems and seeds. And chop them very finely - no one wants a big scary chunk o' jalapeno! Mix, lightly salt, and set aside while the potatos cook.

Put the potatoes into boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until a fork pierces them easily. Drain them and let the steam come off of them for 5-10 minutes. You don't want lots of water on them when you drop them into the olive oil (which you're heating up on the stove in a frying pan until the oil ripples). Put the potatoes in and smash them a little with a spatula or potato masher. You want them to retain their shape and just split their seams at the side a little -- like some strange uncle at Thanksgiving. They should be flat enough to brown evenly. After 5 minutes or so, check them and see if they're brown and a little crusty. If they are, flip them! Cook them on the second side, and then put on paper towels to drain - but salt them right when they come out of the pan.

Place the still-hot potatoes on a plate. Top with a dollop of the sour cream and put a spoonful of the tomato chili sauce on the side. A little cilantro or parsley garnish would be nice. The crispy potato and the sauce are mellowed out by the sour cream - and I just couldn't stop eating them! If you cooked the potatoes in bacon fat and then crumbled the bacon over them, you'd have a beautiful brunch side to an order of eggs. Please make mine over medium. . .and until you do, I'll see you at the market!