Tuesday 26 October 2010

Purple Potatoes

Due to some sad circumstances, my old friend Duncan and his family are up in Langholm for the week. For a good lump of the 70s and 80s we knocked about together and had many an adventure and indeed our fair share of misadventures and I've well an truly learned my lesson about mixing my drinks - at least in the same glass. For all we've spoken on the phone from time to time, I don't think we've met each other this century, so I took this opportunity to pop over and see him. Since it was a Sunday, I only public transported myself as far a Lockerbie and got a lift for the last 18 miles over the hill (Kirkcudbright to Lockerbie takes about two and a half hours - to get that extra 18 miles on a Sunday takes about double that).

There was a little afternoon pyrotechnics (1 match of course) and some evening beers and much reminiscing but, for the attention of you lot out there in blog land, there was purple potatoes.

Here in their raw state


And here on a plate, roasted by Fiona (Duncan's better half), keeping some beef and peas company - pregravey. 


Technical bit - the colour in these potatoes is caused by a substance known as anthocyanins - sturdy old stuff that survives twenty minutes in a pot of boiling water or in this case, half the afternoon in the oven. Anthocyanins have antioxidant qualities which means purple potatoes are good for you in much the same way as red wine is - that's not to say eating an entire 5 pound bag of them is going to make you topple over, or talk even more gibberish than usual.

And what do they taste like? Well, without a doubt, I can categorically categorise them as potatoy - they taste just like ordinary potatoes only purple. All very tasty Mrs F-B, thank you.

A couple of sociable beers are highly compatible with snoozing and while I was snoozing, all the heat of the day sidled off, so that by the time I was reteaing myself the next morning, the entire outside world was white with frost, but if nothing else it brought the birds to the feeders right outside the kitchen window - I was delighted that they included a pair of nuthatches - a bird I don't see that often, so it counts as a wildlife moment.

Time to bid farewell to Duncan, Fiona, and co (and of course an honorable mention to Stephen, who's trip down from Edinburgh overlapped slightly with mine yesterday) and wander down into the town itself but that is another blog for another day.

9 comments:

Zia Wolf-Sun said...

Purple potatoes...hmm...heard about those...they don't look at all appetising tho..not like a nice clean creamy white potatoey spud or even a the nice nutritious orangey sweet potato...s'pose they might appeal more after a beer or 10!!

Michael (Light-In-A-Box) said...

Hmmmmm... can't say I've ever seen or heard of purple potatoes, I'd give it it a try though! Not to many things I won't eat!
Great posts Sandy...
Michael

Sandy's witterings said...

Thanks Wolfie and Michael.
I first heard of them last year - although apparently they've been available for ever since mother nature decided to evolve them.
Beer is good for helping all sorts of bizarre food off the plate.

Curiosity Anne said...

How odd..watching telly last night and flicking channels I came across Purple Potatoes being showcased on The Alan Titchmarsh Show and I thought to myself "yawn, old news, Sandi got there first".

Shundo said...

We're spoiled in California - purple potatoes are not unheard-of, and we also get get purple cauliflowers - as well as yellow ones - which are both equally good for smothering in cheese sauce

Sandy's witterings said...

Anne - it's good to be in front of the Alan Titchmarsh show - perhaps those good people at ITV will notice this and I'll get a half hour o the box myself (with subtitles of course)

Shundo - A good availablity of purple veg will go some way to compensating for the lack of reasonable priced marmite. Cauliflower and cheese sauce - a definate favorite - usually appear at least once a trip when I'm out here at sea.

Anonymous said...

First time I've heard of purple spuds, i must give them a try.

Becky said...

I like purple potatoes, but my comment is just a heads up about a photo that appeared in the TBT (Tampa Bay Times) Tuesday 10-26-2010, page 15. I found it in the TBT archive online having previously recycled the paper. It shows a man with an umbrella jumping around on the Isle of Lewis. I thought of you when I saw it. It was a very good photo. Do you now the Isle of Lewis?

Sandy's witterings said...

I think they should make a good mash Poppy - not sure if you'll be able to get them in Wiltshire yet - the initial batch was released in scotland and the South of England (but just how south) - more on the way apparently.

I know of Lewis but have never been there - I have been to the Tampa Bay Times web site this morning though and the blighter defeated me, so I'm none the wiser.