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A rich, one-dish vegetarian meal by Heather Forsyth.

This dish was inspired by the new potatoes and onions I bought at the Farmers Market yesterday.  The first of the season's small, slim cucumbers went into homemade yogurt along with fresh slivered basil for a cool contrast.  This dish is complex in flavors and texture, so it's perfectly suited as a one-dish meal, but who wouldn't mind a grilled lamb chop on the side?

New Potatoes with Indian Spices and Yogurt

Ingredients for the Potatoes

• 4 T. butter
  
• 1/2 tsp. each cumin seeds, ground cumin, ground ginger and turmeric
  
• 1/4 tsp. each ground coriander, ground cloves and crushed red pepper
  
• 1 small bay leaf
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 t. salt
  
• 2 small onions, quartered then sliced
  
• a dozen or so small new potatoes (I used combination of red and blue potatoes)
  
• 1 c. water
  
• 1/3 c. heavy cream/or cream and plain yogurt combination

Ingredients for the Yogurt Topping

• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 4 green onions, tops only, sliced
  
• 10 or so small fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  
• 1/2 small cucumber, peeled and diced
  
• squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)
  
• a pinch each of salt, cayenne and sugar

Directions

1. Melt butter in large heavy skillet over medium heat and add the spices.  Stir this around for a bit until spices just begin to color and smell toasty -- be careful not to burn!
   
2. Add sliced onions, garlic and salt, and stir for a few minutes until onions begin to relax.
   
3. Add potatoes, stir to coat with butter and spices, then add bay leaf, water and salt.
   
4. Cover and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes or so
   
5. Add the cream or a combination of cream and yogurt.  Keep heat very low.
   
6. Smash a few of the potatoes with the back of a large fork to thicken the sauce a bit.
   
7. Potoes should have a stew-like consistency -- not as thin as soup, but thin enough that you'd want to serve them in a shallow bowl rather than on a plate

While the potatoes are simmering in Step 4:

1. Combine yogurt with remaining ingredients, and a little lemon juice depending on the thickness and tartness of your yogurt, and set aside.

When potatoes are done, ladle into shallow bowls and top each serving with a generous dollop of cucumber yogurt.  This made 4 servings at our house.