Afternoon Delight (Sky rockets in flight)

Three days a week I work from home. Terry also works at a home office. Since I've got an interview to conduct across town at 4 pm then will have a fight back home through traffic and over the harbor bridge, I decided to have our cooked meal at lunch today. We can have left over risotto or curry at dinner time.

Today's menu includes "Maori" potatoes. Maori Potatoes, also called peruperu or taewa, were brought to New Zealand by Europeans 200 years ago. Maori had kumera, a type of sweet potato, but no potatoes as we think of them. Maori potatoes, have dark purple or red skin, and the flesh is purple to white. When you cut into one, it oozes dark purple. I always feel a bit murderous when my potatoes bleed.... They are small, wee things, knobbly, the length of a man's thumb and two to three times thicker. I found a few in the cupboard that Terry's dad gave us when we were in Kaikohe at Christmas. I never saw purple potatoes in the States, but evidently there are a few varieties available, including Peruvian Potatoes.

Soggy carrots are the sort of item I would have tossed out before this experiment. I had cut carrots into matchsticks a couple of weeks ago, but didn't use them all. These were in the fridge in a Ziploc looking limp and dejected. I soaked them briefly in cold water and they perked up like a frat boy with a beer tap.

Day Three- Zucchini, Onion and "Maori" Potato Tempura with Iceberg and Matchstick Carrot Salad and Honey Soy Ginger Dressing

Ingredients from

Cupboard- Onion, Maori Potatoes, Honey, Soy Sauce, Ground Ginger, Flour, Oil
Fridge- Zucchini, Iceberg Lettuce, Carrot