Blue potatoes from Carroll’s Heritage Potatoes

Inspired by two fellow foodbloggers, I picked up a bag of blue potatoes at Edinburgh Farmers’ Market last Saturday. I remember my mum used to grow few plants of Congo Blue potatoes when I was younger, so I’m not totally new to these curiously coloured tubers. But after I saw the glorious pictures that Nicky & Oliver had posted on their delicious:days, and the spooky mash at Lex Culinaria, I couldn’t resist the urge to buy a bag of weirdly coloured potatoes myself.

Lucy & Anthony Carroll’s Heritage Potatoes specialise on pre-1950 potato varieties, and they sell 12 different heritage potatoes at their stall, including two blue potato varieties – Highland Burgundy (1936) and Salad Blue (early 1900s). I bought a bag of latter one and prepared 2 joyful dishes out of them.

One large potato ended up sliced and deep-fried in sunflower oil, sprinkled with Maldon sea salt and dipped into sour cream:


The rest the blue potatoes were first boiled (which, I'm embarrased to admit, was fun, as I really liked looking at the spotty peeled potatoes):


And then they were turned into a mash (with the help of my cute Spudnik), seasoned with Very Garlicky Company’s Mash Seasoning Mixture:


I served the blue mash with chopped cucumbers and spring onions:


I enjoyed eating this purple-blue mash – it had a lovely floury potato-ey taste, with the hint of garlic. I wasn’t the least bothered by the weird and unusual hue of the mash either.

I also imagine kids would enjoy eating this, so I’ll definitely make it again in a few years then:)

Carroll’s Heritage Potatoes
Tiptoe Farm
Northcumberland
www.heritage-potatoes.co.uk