When I was in grade six I was the same height that I am now. I towered over my classmates, always being shifted to the back row center in class photos. On a good day I had illusions of being a star basketball player though I couldn’t dribble and run at the same time. (I have this thing where either I make my arms move or my legs not both. Horrible for line dancing and aerobics class). More frequently though the bad days brought terrors of never slow dancing with a boy, wearing high heels or slow dancing with a boy. (You can see where my hormones drove my brain) My height at that time? A whopping 5’4 1/2″ . (I will fight to the death any MTO employee who tries to take away my half.)
Not surprising everyone eventually caught up to or catapulted past my grand stature and by highschool everything had sort itself out into the natural order of things. One thing I never changed in all my years of being tall, normal then short is my big personality. Ask anyone of my closest friends and they will tell you I have a big laugh, a big smile and a giant capacity to make everyone around me happy and carefree. Sometimes the smallest things need to act the giggest to keep from being drowned out.
The people at The Little Potato Company know exactly what I am talking about. Focusing solely on the little creamer potato ( the smallest in the potato world) Jacob van der Schaff and his daughter Angela understand how big taste can come from such a small package. In today’s society of growing things bigger and faster, potatoes have become lost in their skins, devoid of nutritional value and most importantly taste. By not using genetic modifications, or mass production lines and keeping the importance of family the forefront of their mission The Little Potato Company is not so small after all.
Personally I have been using this product long before I was given a chance to create a recipe with them. They are the perfect size for anything you can imagine. They are cute (like I was in grade 6) and so incredibly versatile. You can get them in a couple of shapes (round, fingerling) and a variety of colours (blue, white, red, yellow or be wild and crazy and get the mix pack).
In the spirit of all things little I couldn’t resist showcasing my Baby Boomers in the popular Spanish tapas dish Patatas Brava. Tapas are small appetizers or snacks popular in Spanish bars and restaurant. Their small servings sizes allow you to try a wide variety of dishes that can easily be shared. The first ever Spanish tapas I had was Patatas Bravas and I think about them all the time.
What is also great about this recipe is that is requires you to make two different sauces; Bravas and garlic aioli that I believe should be in every home cooks repertoire. Both sauces can be made ahead and the bravas can be heated just before serving. And these fried potatoes? Don’t be surprised if your first batch never gets sauced because fresh out of the pan and lightly salted they are delicious all on their own.
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Patatas Bravas
The Bravas Sauce and Aioli can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Quickly reheat the Bravas sauce while cooking the potatos then serve over top with the aioli. When making the aioli it is very important that the egg is room temperature.
Author: The Tasty Gardener
Ingredients
Bravas Sauce
3 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can whole tomatoes, drained
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp sugar
1 pinch red pepper flakes
Garlic Aioli
1 egg yolk, room temperature
½ cups olive oil
½ tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
For the Potatos
1 bag The Little Potato Company Baby Boomer Potatos, halved
¼ cup olive oil
salt to taste
chopped chives or green onions, for garnish
Instructions
To make the Bravas Sauce.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just translucent and fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, breaking them up into smaller, finer chunks. Bring to a simmer.
Stir in the paprika, sugar and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until potatoes are ready.
To make the Garlic Aioli
In a food processor or in a bowl with a whisk beat the egg yolk.
Adding a little bit of oil at a time (almost drop by drop) and whisk/pulse until mixture begins to emulsify.
Once all the oil has been added whisk/pulse in the salt, lemon juice and garlic. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To make the Patatas Brava
In a large pot of boiling water cook the potatos until just fork tender.
Drain and rinse in cold water to stop them from cooking further. Pat dry with a towel.
In a fry pan over medium high heat the ¼ cup of oil. Add the potatoes and cook until crispy and brown.
Transfer potatoes to paper tpwel to remove excess oil and sprinkle with salt.
To serve place potatoes on your plate and top with warm bravas sauce and drizzled with aioli. Garnish with chopped chives or green onions
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*I received several bags of potatos from The Little Potato Company to try free of charge. All opinions (you know I have many) are 100 % my own and the recipe is 100% original to The Tasty Gardener