Potatoes
General Information
Potatoes are the most universally eaten vegetable in America. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't eat potatoes in one form or another. We plant potatoes in April and start harvesting them in July for fresh new potatoes. New potatoes with their paper thin skin are so tender and tasty they melt in you mouth when simply boiled. Until you have had true farm-fresh new potatoes, you don't know what a potato was meant to taste like. In the fall we harvest mature potatoes. Mature potatoes are what most people are accustomed to. The skin is thicker to protect the potato during the long winter storage. Even this thicker skin is tasty and contains many nutrients, so just scrub well (but don't peel) for the best flavor.
Storage Information
New potatoes don't store well and are best eaten within a week or two. Keep them in a cool, dry, dark place. They can be stored in the refrigerator, but it isn't necessary unless your house is very warm.
Mature potatoes store for months. Keep them in a cool, dry, dark place. The refrigerator is best. If it is too warm they will begin to sprout. Green spots will develop if the potatoes are exposed to light during storage. These spots should be cut out before cooking.
Cooking Suggestions
New potatoes are amazing boiled in salted water. They don't need butter or oil. Fresh grated black pepper is a great topping.
Mashed with butter and milk - alone or with other root vegetables.
Cubed in soups and stews.
Cut in 1/4 inch rounds and brushed with olive oil and baked on a pizza stone at 400F for 30-40 minutes. Flip halfway through cooking. These make great low fat home made French fries or, as my family calls them, cottage fries.
Recipes
Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Stew
Creamy Cabbage Soup with Gruyere
Crispy Potatoes with Green Beans and Eggs
Honey Dijon Zucchini Potato Salad
Parcel Baked Salmon with Potato and Green Beans
**Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash**
**Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic Vinegar**
Scandinavian Greens, Potatoes and Sausage
Scalloped Potatoes and Carrots
Scalloped Turnips and Potatoes
Smashed New Potatoes with Garlic and Chives