Smashed potatoes + kale

Don't you hate when you've talked a dish up? Maybe you mention it early in the day, kind of arbitrarily, perhaps prompted by an image in a newspaper or in a commercial; something like, "Oooh, wouldn't that be good?"

All intentions were that the person to whom you were speaking would say, "Oh, yeah... yum," to which you could get some points by saying half assed-ly (yes, it's a word. I looked it up. Not really.) mentioning that you had a bunch of potatoes at home and that you could make them as soon as we got home, knowing full well that it'd be hours before you actually got home, and chances were that by the time that happened, he would forgot about it? Did that ever happen? Except that it kind of stuck? And, two and four and five hours later, you were still talking about it?

Yeah. That was me and mashed potatoes and Jason today. I can't even remember where Jase and I saw the potatoes, but it was early. All day we talked about them.

Dood. We left the bar so that I could go home and make them.

Seriously. Look:


That's boiled and smashed Blooming Glen red and white potatoes; mixed with chopped and sauteed BG leeks, thyme, cilantro and sage our own rosemary; a bit of veggie broth and butternut squash soup (again, it's what was in the fridge), salt and pepper. To the left is steamed purple kale. My dish is served with hot sauce, Jason's had horseradish sauce.

I don't know if it's just because I'm from Rhode Island or what. But me and kale? We get along when it's just the three of us: me, kale and vinegar. Yeah, man. Chop it, steam it for a few (four? five?) minutes, spill a few drops of vinegar on it and serve it with some starchy goodness. Perfect.

By the way. The hot sauce? I heart the Louisiana bred Crystal hot sauce for its flavor. It's not the hottest sauce, but it's the sauciest, if you know what I mean. Nothing against Cholula's mind you, but the only reason why we have it on tap, is because Crystal is still suffering from Hurricane Katrina. It's been produced in New Orleans since 1928, and is determined to stay there. They've had to identify a new location, as their pre-Katrina one was destroyed, and have plans to re-open any minute. If you have a moment, would you send some good hot-sauce loving vibes to the company and it's families? I know it's just one company in one city, but dang... trust me when I say that the whole world will be a much better place when this particular one is back up and running :)