yes, an oven would be amazing - I bet the added Smokey flavor of a brick style oven would be amazing. The purples don't have a particularly unique flavor to me. nutritionally they are not much different from a standard yellow/white potatoes in terms of macro nutrients. However, they are loaded with antioxidants which makes them worth the trouble. Also, they look really good in a roasted potatoes medley. Perhaps you have inspired my next post where I will share my recipe for roasted potatoes.