Potatoes

Arley looks very down home in this pic. Banjo case, overalls, woolly booties. This recipe is very warm and 'woolly' too! The sauce is almost like hummus, but you can thin it out by adding more oil if you please. (I like less oil though.) Really comforting food. : )

Ingredients
5 chilies, stemmed and seeded
4 tablespoons beans (I used canned black beans, any kind will work)
1 1/2 lbs potatoes
1/4 cups olive oil
5 whole garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme, plus
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 slice bread (1-inch thick)
1/3 cup canned tomato
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1-2 tablespoon lemon juice, as needed

Directions

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place potatoes in a roasting pan and toss with a bit of olive oil, 5 whole cloves garlic, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Cover tightly with foil and roast until potatoes are tender when pierced, about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, place a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add a bit of olive oil and heat 1 minute. Add bread and fry until browned on both sides. Cut into 1-inch cubes, and set aside. Return pan to high heat, and add a bit more olive oil and the chilies. Sauté 1 minute and add tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring until juices have evaporated. Remove from heat.
In a food processor, combine the beans, chopped garlic, and bread cubes. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add Chile-tomato mixture and pulse to combine. With machine running, slowly pour in 1/4 cup olive oil to make a smooth puree, you might add more, up to a cup.. Add 1 tablespoon of the parsley and season to taste with lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
When the potatoes are tender, remove from heat and let potatoes and garlic cool. Place a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add more olive oil and heat for 1 minute. Add the potatoes and season with thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Fry the potatoes until crispy on one side, 6-8 minutes, then turn to brown on all sides. Add the reserved sauce and garlic cloves. To serve toss with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.