Flan aux oeufs, vitelottes et légumes verts 法式蔬菜紫洋芋烘蛋

Flan aux oeufs, vitelottes et légumes verts 法式蔬菜紫洋芋烘蛋

今天被外頭吱吱喳喳的鳥兒吵醒 探出窗外 大地居然籠罩在一片薄霧之中 10點多的時候才慢慢轉晴 廚房裡有一顆大約一兩個星期前買的有機紫色馬鈴薯 是的: 紫色! 它比普通的馬鈴薯小很多 大約比一個手掌還小吧 橢圓的身體帶著深紫色 (有一點點黑)的外皮 但是一切開就是很鮮豔的紫色 美呆了! 因為顏色實在是太美了 光看就覺得很好吃呢!

恰好在我最喜歡的網站之一La Tartine Gourmande法式蔬菜紫洋芋烘蛋小巧可愛的食譜 最近這幾天感受到春天來臨的氣息 五顏六色的時令蔬果總是令我欲罷不能 (好像覺得自己又快變成季節性的素食主義者了)

這個真的很簡單 最重要的地方就是食材新鮮度 義大利茄瓜 蘆筍以及馬鈴薯 還有大約3種不同的香料: 奧力岡 巴西里 和羅勒 以及一點點的綠蔥

I came across these purple potatoes again a few weeks ago at Sprouts, a student-run cafe in the basement of the SUB at UBC, that sells not only organic and local produce (from both the UBC Farm and local suppliers) but also fair trade coffee (at 75 cents!), snacks (organic chocolate bars, nuts, dried fruits, bulk items), healthy baked goods from the tantalizing vegan brownies to savory scones, as well as daily soup specials with home-made bread, and so on.

I had previous encounters with these potatoes when I made patties for Susan's contest. Potatoes are not a staple food in my household, and I personally prefer other root vegetables. So it's not a surprise that I do not harbour a devotion or love for potatoes. In fact, I do not even like chips, fries, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, etc. For me potatoes are meant to be taken in small doses :P Maybe that is why this single purple potato has been sitting around the counter for about a week simply because I have somehow been neglecting its presence. Having said that, I don't "dislike" potatoes, but what drew me to these is the colour. They are oval in shape, wearing a purple (almost black-ish) outer skin and a VERY purple inner flesh, which I adore. Also, they have quite a different texture from the regular potatoes; they are more creamy and hold their shape quite well. (So I always think that they're a waste for mashed potatoes). This means that they are great in salads either pan fried, baked, grilled, or roasted（all of these cooking methods intensify the purple colour of the flesh, which is simply magical and nice in terms of presentation).

The past few days have been gorgeous, which really lightens up my mood. Spring may be here, finally! When I think of spring, all I think about is COLOURS, colours, and more colours. So I decided to make a colourful dish for brunch this morning, taking the original recipe from La Tartine Gourmande.

Egg Flan with Purple Potato and Green Vegetables (serves 1)

• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp milk or half and half or heavy cream
• 1/2 Tbsp cream cheese
• Chopped herbs like tarragon and chives or parsley and basil
  
• 4 green asparagus
• some onions, chopped
  
• 1/2 red scallions and green onions
  
• 1/4 zucchini
• 1/4 purple potatoes (as many slices as you like)
  
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

• Peel the potatoes and slice them. Soak the slices in water for a few minutes (while you prepare other vegetables)
• Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the potatoes for 5 min or so. Remove.
• Cut the tips of the asparagus and keep. Cut the rest in small sticks (0.5 inch).
• Cook them all for 3 min in boiling water. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Cut the zucchini in long strips and sauté for 2 to 3 min.
• Slice the scallions thinly. Chop the herbs.
• Preheat your oven at 350 F.
• Break the eggs in a bowl and beat. Add the milk and cream.
• Season with salt and pepper and add the herbs. Mix well.
• Pour the egg preparation into the mold or ramekin.
• Place in the oven and cook for 5 min.
• Remove and arrange all vegetables on top of the eggs slightly cooked.
• Place in the oven again and cook for 10 to 15 min, until golden in color.
• Add chopped and fresh scallion slices. Serve with a green salad

Of course the egg flan goes amazingly well with toasted baguettes, toast, or rolls.

I really loved the colour of this dish. Green, yellow, purple. C'est beau!

And on top of that it is DELICIOUS!

The addition of milk and cream cheese lends a creamy texture, and the mixture of herbs gives off a truly wonderful aroma. It is actually quite divine! (and so easy)