Mishmash (Stamppot) recipes from Holland's cold season.

Stamppot or Mishmash, Hodgepodge, Hash, et cetera (English, literally: 'Mash Pot') is a traditional Dutch dish made from a combination of potatoes mashed with one or several other vegetables, sometimes also with pork. Most often actually. It was the staple answer to, "What do we do with all these potatoes, gourds and winter crops?"

Note that the Dutch preparation instructions can be found on the enlargeable image file, below the image you'll find the English. These are fairly standard Dutch approaches, although they are a dynamic culture, unlike the complaints of Virginia Wolf about English. If I fry anything, I normally do not waste my olive oil. The Dutch also have a strong aversion to anything chard, while a few black spots don't bother me. They also like it fatty foods; butter, non-lean meat, diary products. That last comment will probably be met with the classic argument that hamburgers are fatty, but not our food.

Endives & Blue cheese Mash
(Witlofstamppot met blauwe kaas)
~ Endive is also a common name for some types of chicory (Cichorium intybus). Now the Dutch will laugh at that, because the word Andijve is reserved for another plant.

Ingredients
1200 grams of starchy/soft potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces.
600 grams of endives
200 grams of Gorgonzola cheese in blocks
200 grams of walnuts
100 milliliters of whipping cream (note, if you think of this as a sweet U.S. version, you need Crème fraîche or even Sour Creme instead).
75 milliliters of water.
25 grams of butter
3 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
1 staff of thyme
1/2 block of vegetable bouillon
2 tablespoons of dry white wine or white basilica vinegar
3 tablespoons of liquid honey
salt

Place the potatoes in a large pan of salted water and bring to a boil for total of 20 minutes.

Meanwhile fry the shallots slowly in the butter until browned. Add to the shallots, your bouillon cube, about 75 milliliters of water, vinegar or wine, and thyme. While cooking this for about 5 minutes stir your honey in.

Fry the walnuts in a dry pan, dicing them when roasted. Halve the endives, removing the hard core and cut into strips. Drain access water from the potatoes, keeping some in a bowl for later mixing. Reserving about a modest handful of your endives. Mix the rest of the endives and whipping cream into the potatoes and cover it to cook about 1 minute. Stir it again until it's a creamy mash.

Add the cheese, walnuts, that small handful of reserved endives. Serve with the honey sauce aside.


Kale, Chorizo & Bell Pepper Mash 
(Boerenkool met Chorizo en Paprika recept)

Ingredients
2 red bell peppers
1 bulb of garlic wrapped in foil
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 chorizo sausage in cuts (medallions)
1200 grams of potatoes
500 grams of chopped kale
salt

Place your oven on the highest level. Grill the Bell Peppers and garlic for about 20 minutes in the oven. Place the peppers in a covered container to cool before peeling them and cutting into strips. Simply press the garlic cloves out from their skins add two tablespoons of olive oil with a pinch of salt.
Fry the chorizo slices the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until they are a bit crunchy. Remove them from the pan and try to keep them warm.
Place the potatoes in a large pan of water and bring to a boil for total of 20 minutes. Remove the cover 10 minutes in to toss your raw kale atop the potatoes and let it steam. Finally drain off any extra water, keeping some in a bowl for later mixing.
The residual oils from the chorizo pan with your peppers can now be added to the potatoes and kale before mashing the contents. For final presentation, pour your heated garlic and olive oil over the top and garnish it with your chorizo cuts.

Black Eyed Pea Curry

Units:
1 tsp. (teaspoon) = 5 grams = 0.832674 Imperial tsp, because those lads loved Rome.
1 tbsp. (tablespoon) = 15 grams = 2.49802 Imperial tablespoons because Pioneers didn't use tables.

Ingredients:
• 2 jalapeno peppers
• 2 ginger bulbs (about the size of the thumb tip) diced
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 tbsp (30gm) mustard seeds dry
• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 tsp. (5gm) powdered coriander
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5gm) powdered cumin
• 1/4 tsp. (1.25gm) turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5gm) salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro (bushel of coriander leaves)
• 1 tsp (5gm) dried paprika ("Spanse pepper" if you're thinking like the Dutch)

Author's aside:
The results of this recipe can actually be stored in the freezer to be used as an additive to a general humus recipe. The basis of this style is Palestinian in origin. It is also worth noting that the desired beans do not necessarily need to be black-eyed peas. Red beans, white beans and lentils will work just as fine in texture and tasted.

Now, the source of this recipe actually suggests deseeding the peppers and the tomatoes. Personally, with the exception of bell peppers, I like to keep the seeds for their nutrients and texture in the meal. You have to admit, the concept of taking seeds out of others, while adding roasted mustard seeds is a bit contrary, unless you don't like it so spicy. Here they suggest Jalapeno peppers, but honestly, any hot pepper of your choice will suffice. If you dislike really spicy hot food, then you should not only remove the pepper seeds but also the thin fibrous skins the seeds are attached too. The chemical that makes a pepper taste hot is concentrated in those two parts.

..

Methodical process:

Remember to follow your heart and taste-buds always. It's similar to the expression "salt to taste":

Bring your wok or pot to a mild heat with oil coating the bottom. Now we begin with the jalapeno peppers, ginger and mustard seeds. Essentially, all other condiments should be prepared, as we are waiting for the moment that the mustard seeds will jump like 'Mexican Jumping Beans'. The should pop a bit like corn (maize) due to the steam condensing on the inside of their shells, causing an expansion and the subsequent popping of their shells, but that is when we want to stop this process, just as you don't want charcoal on your popcorn.
While cooking the aforementioned you can quickly quarter the tomatoes, chop the cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) and if you prefer, instead of using a whole bay leaf (laurel) you can also cut into strips; however not too thin as these are not palatable and should be removed before or during eating (similar to unshelled cardamon seeds would be).
When the mustard seeds begin to jump from the oil, it is time to lower the heat and combine our tomatoes, cilantro, turmeric, salt, paprika and our bay leaf.
When the tomatoes are soft, then we add our beans (black-eyed peas in this case) and we provide just enough water to cover the beans. When the beans have become soft enough to be mashed, then we are done and can add the cilantro.