Variaciónes

You can add flavor and color to your causa base. If you have a high-powered blender, the vegetables will puree to almost the consistency of paint. If not, they will be chunkier, but you’ll still get good color.

Verde (Green)

Cut the quantity of potatoes down to 3 pounds. Blanch 2 bunches stemmed baby spinach, or one 10- to 12-ounce bag baby spinach, and squeeze it dry (see page 53, scallops a la parmesana). Puree the spinach in a blender with ¼ cup of the olive oil until very smooth. (If you don’t have a high-powered blender, add a few additional tablespoons of olive oil if needed and stir a few times to get things moving.) In step 3, knead the remaining ½ cup olive oil into the potato base. When the potatoes are silky, knead the spinach puree into the potatoes for another minute or two until well combined and season with salt. Instead of fresh spinach, you can substitute ⅔ cup frozen spinach, thawed, cooked, and squeezed dry.

Rojo (Red)

Cut the quantity of potatoes down to 3 pounds. Roast 1 pound (about 4 medium) red beets, then peel and roughly chop them (see page 176). Puree the beets in a blender with ¼ cup of the olive oil until very smooth. (If you don’t have a high-powered blender, add a few additional tablespoons of olive oil if needed, and stir a few times to get things moving.) In step 3, knead the remaining ½ cup olive oil into the potato base. When the potatoes are silky, knead the beet puree into the potatoes for another minute or two until well combined and season with salt. The color will vary depending on the potatoes. For a more intense reddish-purple color, add a few tablespoons of chicha morada (page 224), but only a little, or the punch will flavor the potatoes (my kids don’t see this as a problem).