This year we have grown purple potatoes (vitelotte noir) for the first time in our organic allotment garden. Not only do these purple potatoes add color to the meal but they also taste great. This lovely meal offers the earthy flavors of fall. What a treat!

Purple Potato Gnocchi with Chestnut Mushrooms

Ingredients:

for the gnocchi:

  • 2 cups purple potatoes, cooked, skins removed and fork smashed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup semolina pasta flour or AP flour
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour (preferred, if not available AP flour)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • dash pepper

for the mushrooms:

  • 10-12 ounces chestnut mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
  • pinch of salt
  • handful of parsley, chopped as garnish

for the spicy soy yogurt sauce:

  • 1/2 cup soy yogurt
  • 1-2 teaspoons sambal ulek
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • pinch of salt

Purple potatoes

Directions:

to make the gnocchi:

  1. Prepare the purple potatoes. Wash well, pick them with a fork and bake for about 20 minutes in an oven at 375 F / 190 C. Remove from the oven when they have become soft. Allow to cool a bit.
  2. When cool enough to handle, yet still warm, remove the skins, or scrape the potato from the skin using a knife or spoon. Place the potatoes in a bow and mash lightly with a fork. You will need to have 2 cups of potatoes.
  3. Put the potatoes in a food processor.
  4. Add the oil, flours, salt and pepper and process to make a dough. If the dough does not stick together, add a tiny bit of water.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to harden.

Purple Potato Gnocchi

to make the meal:

  1. Cut the mushrooms in quarters.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the quartered mushrooms.
  3. Add the salt and seasonings and saute lightly.
  4. At the same time, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil for the gnocchi.
  5. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and place them in a serving dish.
  6. Mix the soy yogurt, sambal ulek and soy sauce together and pour into the warm mushroom cooked pan to absorb the juices and warm. Depending on the consistency, possibly add a bit of water if it is too thick. Remove from the heat and pour into a gravy boat.
  7. Once the dough has chilled and hardened a bit, remove from the refrigerator.
  8. Lightly dust the work surface with flour.
  9. Divide the dough into 4 or 5 balls, and roll out into logs.
  10. Dip a knife in the flour and cut the logs in 3/4 of an inch pieces.
  11. Using a small fork, also dipped in flour so that it does not stick to the dough, lightly press the fork into the dough, making the traditional pattern of gnocchi and slightly flattening the piece.
  12. Lay the gnocchi on a plate that has been dusted with flour until all the gnocchi have been formed.
  13. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil.
  14. Put the gnocchi in the boiling water. It only takes about 2 minutes for the gnocchi to be ready, they will float to the top.
  15. While they are cooking, garnish the mushrooms with the parsley.
  16. Drain the gnocchi and put in a serving bowl.
  17. We served the meal for individuals to help them selves, however you could also serve it by placing the gnocchi and mushrooms on a plate or in a bowl, pour a bit of the sauce over and garnish with some chopped parsley.

Notes:

This was a fantastic dinner. If you can get purple potatoes from a farmer’s market, by al means do so. Next year, we will grow twice as many! Various kinds of wild mushrooms would be nice with this as well.