Potatoes with Tahini, Yogurt & Green Tomato Jam
16 Yukon gold or red Norland potatoes, about 2 pounds
1 C. Greek style yogurt
1 C. tahini
1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
salt to taste
4 scallions, washed and chopped fine
1 C. of green tomato jam (recipe follows)
4 green tomatoes, peeled using a vegetable peeler and then diced into ½ inch cubes
1 C. light colored honey
1 C. water
1 C. dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
2 fresh bay leaves
8 sprigs of thyme
1 clove of garlic, smashed
salt to taste
1/4 C. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 C. toasted sesame seeds
2 T. of coarsely ground coriander seed
1 T. of Greek oregano
2 tsp. of Aleppo chilies (available at specialty spice stores), if you can’t find Aleppo you can substitute a tsp. of paprika
Place the potatoes in a large saucepot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. The cooking time may vary according to the size of the potatoes. Drain water from pan and add 2 T. of kosher salt and let stand for 5 minutes to let the potatoes absorb some salt. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt, tahini and lemon juice in a mixing bowl with a whisk until well combined. Season with salt to taste and set aside. Place the saucepan in the sink and run cold water over the potatoes until they chilled through, about 5 minutes. Drain the water when cool and cut the potatoes in half on a cutting board. Place them in a bowl and season them with salt to taste. Stir in the olive oil and set aside. In a small sauté pan, bring the honey, water & wine to a simmer on medium-low heat. Add bay leaf, garlic and thyme and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and season with salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly for about 20-25 minutes (add more wine or water if the pan dries up too quickly) or until the tomatoes are soft and jam like. Stir in olive oil and lemon juice and season again with salt to taste. Cool and remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. For the coriander, sesame and oregano topping Mix all ingredients. Set aside. Pre-heat oven to 375 or prepare a charcoal grill. Tear off several pieces of parchment paper measuring approximately 14 inches long. These are going to hold the potato bundles so make sure that they’re big enough. Place 6-8 halves of potatoes in the center of the parchment and wrap the potatoes up into a tight little package. Twist the top so that the bag is airtight and it looks like a little balloon. Wrap the packages with a layer of tin foil if you are using a charcoal grill. Repeat until all the potatoes are wrapped in paper parcels. Place them on a baking sheet and then into the oven to steam for about 15 minutes or until hot. If using a charcoal grill you can place them right onto the grill and they will take 6-8 minutes to get steamy and they might brown nicely on the bottom. When the potatoes are hot, remove the foil (if using) and cut the tops of the bags open using kitchen shears. Top each bag of potatoes with 2 T. of tahini-yogurt and 2 T. of green tomato jam. Sprinkle generously with scallion and the coriander, sesame and oregano topping. Serve immediately.