Gruyere Stuffed Purple Potato Dumplings with a Walnut Parsley Pesto

Recently I was invited to submit an original recipe to the Idaho Potato Commission as part of their "February is Potato Lovers Month" campaign.  I happily accepted; after all, this challenge involved two things that are close to my heart: potatoes and money. Not only would I (full disclosure) be paid for my time and trouble in creating the recipe, my dish would be featured (along with those of other participants) on the Idaho Potato homepage for the whole month of February. As an added bonus, prize money was up for grabs, as the commission would choose several winners, including best dish, most original recipe, and best photo.

Well guess what kids? I am very proud to announce that the image at the top of this post won in the "Best Photo" category! Many thanks to the Idaho Potato Commission for this award.

Juicy Lamb & Purple Potato Shepherd's Pie with a Blackberry Demi Glace

The Dr. Seuss-ian purple mashed potato topping you see here consists of extras from the Basque potato tortilla that I made for last week's French Fridays with Dorie.  I first got a bee in my bonnet to make a shepherd's pie because Claudia from What's Cooking? recently made an Italian-style version of the dish, which got my tummy rumbling.  I also just happened to have eight braised lamb shoulder chops sitting around.

But why, you ask, when it's just Poppa Trix and me, would I ever need to make such an obscene amount of lamb all at once?  Why, indeed!

A Technicolor Dinner to Cure the Blues: Smashed Purple Potatoes & Cheddar Sage Biscuits

You may have noticed that a number of my posts lately have centered around chasing away the impending fall/winter blues. I've sought solace in  soup, bread, cake, and of course, liquour.  These things all worked just fine - for a time.  But when I got a big bag of purple potatoes from my CSA last week, I thought: Maybe color is the cure. I mean, who says the autumn palette has to be muted?

My first attempt at creating a Dr. Seuss style meal fell depressingly short, however. I sauteed the potatoes with peppers and onion and all the color drained out. Not fun! Undaunted, I did some research and discovered that I should have cooked the potatoes whole, with their skins on, and then hit them with a dose of acid - lemon juice or vinegar - to retain and boost their cartoonish color.