The dark and dreary interior of Vincent van Gogh‘s The Potato Eaters (1885) is a stark juxtaposition to the colour and the flavor of the sweet potato mash. With Thanksgiving being such an important meal in the North American calendar, I felt it was appropriate to include a painting of a familial supper in this series. The subjects of the painting are peasants and although their entire meal consists of a platter of potatoes, there is no unhappiness apparent on their faces. This is Thanksgiving – being thankful for what one has and celebrating the food on the table. I could not think of a better way to celebrate the simple potato than to spike it with a bit of my beloved chipotle and albeit the food visually contrasts the art, the message is still there.
The Potato Eaters
“You see, I really have wanted to make it so that people get the idea that these folk, who are eating their potatoes by the light of their little lamp, have tilled the earth themselves with these hands they are putting in the dish, and so it speaks of manual labour and — that they have thus honestly earned their food.”
– Vincent van Gogh, Letter 497: To Theo van Gogh. Nuenen, Thursday, 30 April 1885.
Van Gogh submitted The Potato Eaters to the Salon in Paris where it was rejected. It was his first ambitious work and is now considered his first masterpiece which was the artist’s intention during it’s conception and creation.
Chipotle Sweet Potato Mash with Fresh Lime
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 cm pieces
1 TB olive oil
2 TB butter
1/3 c sour cream
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
lime slices & sour cream to serve
Place the cubed sweet potato on a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Toss with your hands before sliding into a 350°F/180°C oven for about 40 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Once roasted, puree the potatoes with a blender and add the butter, sour cream, and salt. Mix into well combined. Stir in the chopped chipotle and serve with a glob of sour cream and a squeeze of fresh lime.
16 comments
Gabrielaskitchen says:
Nov 18, 2009
What a contrast! Savory amp; Spicy sweet potatoes what a great idea…and one can never go wrong with chipotles in adobo!
Jill says:
Nov 18, 2009
Wow, there is something about this picture I really like–the more I look at it, the more I really like it. And thanks for giving the background about it–I appreciate this piece of art even more. :)
Amanda says:
Nov 18, 2009
I#39;ve always loved this painting. Not sure why.br /br /And sweet potatoes with chipotle peppers? My favorite combination. Won#39;t be doing it for Thanksgiving this year because my kids just can#39;t appreciate it just yet.br /br /Oh, but they will…
Rosa's Yummy Yums says:
Nov 18, 2009
Very original! I love that flavor combination!br /br /Cheers,br /br /Rosa
shaz says:
Nov 18, 2009
Yum! I am such a big fan of sweet, sour and spicy combinations. That looks almost ice-creamy with the dollop of sour cream on top!
Heavenly Housewife says:
Nov 18, 2009
What a fabulous recipe. I love the ingredients you used, and sweet potato is a real favourite of mine.
Siri says:
Nov 18, 2009
Megan- didn#39;t you have any peasant friends to congregate around the table to eat these tasty looking potatoes for your re-creation photo???br /br /I love sweet potatoes. Love. AND-they#39;re apparently supposed to make a very good first food for baby (always planning ahead). br /br /I wrote a paper on this painting during a freshman year European art history class. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) had it on loan, so I was able to study it in person. Don#39;t ask what the focus of the paper was, I can#39;t remember a thing!
Hungry Dog says:
Nov 18, 2009
Your sweet potato mash sounds delicious, and I love that photo! Makes me want to dig right in.br /br /I#39;ve never seen that Van Gogh painting before and so of course did not know the background. I feel like you are my quot;continuing educationquot;, art-wise. Thanks :)
Anonymous says:
Nov 19, 2009
It is certainly interesting for me to read the article. Thank you for it. I like such topics and everything connected to this matter. I definitely want to read more on that blog soon.
Julie says:
Nov 19, 2009
Whoa, that looks like pumpkin pie in a dessert dish; I would dig right in and be startled by the sour cream when I was expecting whipped cream, and then I would hit the chipotle – my taste buds would be seriously confused! As always, your recipes are ultra creative.br /Love you!
Lauren says:
Nov 19, 2009
I#39;m in for anything with sweet potato! Fun flavours with this =D.
Lael says:
Nov 19, 2009
yum – chipotle and sweet potato! I love the striped shirt that fills the background of your shot. Thanks for the little lesson on van Gogh!
dessert girl says:
Nov 19, 2009
Is there anything better than sweet potatoes?? Love the addition of the chipotles! ~Erin
{kms} says:
Nov 20, 2009
i love sweet potatoes and am such a van gogh fan!
Sophie says:
Nov 22, 2009
Wow,..;a neat sweet potato dish!!br /br /Just delicious!
Susan says:
Nov 22, 2009
I have always loved this painting. When I was a kid Van Gogh was my favorite artist and I remember being amazed at how this painting is so different from all his south of France paintings with the bright yellows. Thanks for bringing back good memories–I guess that in part is what the Thanksgiving holiday is about.