Stoemp (mashed potatoes with friends)

Pronounced stoomp, this typical Flemish and Dutch dish consists of potatoes mashed with one or more greens or root vegetables, or even with bacon. It is similar to Irish colcannon. It’s very easy to make and versatile in its use of ingredients. Typical friends for the potatoes are carrots, turnips, kale, or cabbage but you can use any CSA greens or root vegetables. If you have turnips, this recipe is excellent with both the roots and greens. The proportions are flexible.  The potatoes should remain dominant with the other ingredients not exceeding 1/3 of the total.

Ingredients

1 lb potatoes, diced

1/2 lb of any combination of leafy greens or root vegetables(diced)

A couple tablespoons butter

Some milk or cream

Salt and pepper

Nutmeg

Directions

Boil the potatoes and friends together until potatoes are soft. Drain. You can also cook the potatoes by themselves while sauteing the greens and/or roots in some butter or oil until tender. This way, the flavor of the friends don’t get lost in the boiling water. Mix the cooked ingredients in a mixing pot and mash together with a few clumps of butter. Add a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Add a little milk or cream to achieve desired consistency.  You can use a food processor instead, if you want a smooth puree. You can get more creative with your stoemp by adding friends such as roasted chiles, broccoli, grated cheese, summer squash, sweet corn, etc. The sky’s the limit.

Submitted by Philippe Waterinckx, Tucson CSA