Smashed Potato Salad with Pepitas and Chimichurri

In this dish smashed potatoes are brightened up with an Argentinean style pesto to create a crowd-pleasing addition to any backyard BBQ! The chimichurri will keep well in the fridge for several weeks in a sealed container and will find it’s way onto just about everything!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 small but not baby sized organic new potatoes
• 6 tbsp. of olive oil
• freshly cracked pepper
• finishing salt
• 1/2 cup of toasted pumpkin seeds
• one recipe of Chimichurri (recipe follows)
• edible flowers to garnish (opt.)

Boil potatoes until tender in plenty of water. Strain and allow to cool for 20 minutes or so. Pre-heat your oven to 450 F. Drizzle 3 tbsp. of olive oil over a large baking sheet to coat. Place the boiled potatoes on the oiled baking sheet. With the bottom of a small fry pan, gently press down on each of the potatoes to squash them to a thickness of roughly one cm. Drizzle each potato with the remaining olive oil using your hands to ensure that the tops are well coated with oil. Top with lots of cracked pepper and finishing salt.

Bake for roughly 30 min. or until the tops and edges are browned. Re-set your oven to broil if you like for the last 5 minutes to crisp them up.

Set aside while you prepare the Chimichurri.

Chimichurri:

• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup minced cilantro
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mince cilantro, parsley, and oregano.

Place in a medium sized bowl with shallots, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and sea salt.

Add apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Stir well to combine.

Arrange baked smashed potatoes on a platter. Drizzle with Chimichurri and top with toasted pumpkin seeds to serve! Can be served warm or at room temperature.