Purplicious Salad

Farmer's markets are great. It is a delightful place to wander, ogle gorgeous locally grown produce, eat delicious treats, and visit with loved ones and strangers alike. Plus it's free, if you don't buy anything, and pretty thrifty if you do. One of the things I enjoy most about farmer's markets, though, is the culinary creativity it inspires in me. For example, if not for the market, I would never have tried roasting beets, and now balsamic roasted beets is one of my favorite dishes!

The most recent adventure that the farmer's market has pushed me toward is in the potato department. I had been seeing a number of tasty-sounding potato salad recipes around the web. So when I saw the most perfect purple potatoes at a market stand, I claimed them for my own. Glorious and gorgeous, I could not resist their color!

The first few potatoes became microwave potato chips by way of a recipe at FatFree Vegan. I thought it fitting that the next round of my potato venture also be inspired by Susan's amazing collection of nutritious recipes. As a die-hard garlic lover, her recipe for a roasted garlic potato salad would not get out of my head, so I tried it.

I must say, there are not many smells in this world that are better than roasting garlic on anything. The same proved true for my purple 'taters. And not only did they smell lovely, but they tasted quite good packed into my Mr. Bento lunch box. I used about four or five smallish potatoes, and it made enough for two servings of approximately one cup each.

(Here's a fun side note: the melon in my cottage cheese in the top photo of this post is the Sinful Dixon melon, a hybrid of cantaloupe and honeydew. It tastes amazing!)

Purple Potato Eater Salad

2 lbs potatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fat-free quark
2 T lemon juice
1 T Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the quark (sour cream or plain yogurt would also work well), lemon juice, mustard, and salt and pepper in a separate dish. Set aside.

Scrub the potatoes, then chop them into chunks. Spray the pieces with cooking spray and place them in a shallow baking dish or pan. Roast for about 25 minutes. Add the garlic and roast for five additional minutes. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Toss the potatoes with the dressing and serve or refrigerate.