I love potatoes. Like eggs; what WOULD we do without them?
I love them roasted, chipped, mashed, sautéed, on a cottage pie, in brandade, as bubble and squeak, in an Irish stew, and especially baked in the ash-tray of our wood burner.
I'm not a great connoisseur of the different varieties of potato, but frankly I've not yet met a variety that I didn't like.
I rarely buy fancy varieties, but once a year (around now) I do buy one small bag of Jersey Royals. Otherwise, I never buy coloured or strange shaped varieties, as I think you are paying extra for 'novelty'.
What could be more comforting than a big 'dollop' of smooth mashed potato, topped with a generous amount of butter and some freshly chopped parsley. I would serve that to The King, and I know that he'd love it.
If I was asked what I would save from my burning house; the rice, the spaghetti, or the potatoes, there is no question, it would have to be that bag of glorious spuds.
I regularly grew my own potatoes at Haddock's, and the excitement of digging-up fresh tubers never diminished. I just wish I was still growing them today.
So, long live the glorious potato. May they never be blighted!
We have been growing potatoes in 35 litre tubs for over a decade. What a success! Two tubers per tub, no earthing up, no digging up. Just tip out in September and enjoy. You can reuse the compost, just add a couple of handfuls of growmore and fish, blood and bone.
ReplyDeleteWe grow "Butter gold" mainly.
Lots of you tub vids on how to do it.
I once grew some like that by planting in September; they were ready for Christmas!
DeleteJersey Royals just don't seem to taste the same as the ones my mother used to buy from our local greengrocers in Brighton. They were seasonal and something special and we all looked forward to them every year.
ReplyDeleteI purposefully didn't say that the Jersey Royals are wonderful, because I think they no longer are. As you say, they don't seem to have that great taste from years ago. I think it's been bred out of them!
DeleteMany years ago I grew some " pink fir apple" potatoes......now they are really delicious! Don't seem to be produced for sale though sadly.
ReplyDeleteI have eaten Pink Firs, they were very good. I haven't seen any recently.
DeleteYou can't beat the humble spud. Versatile and nutritious...unless deep fried of course!
ReplyDeleteI haven't eaten a deep fried 'chip' for years. I would like to though!
DeleteSurely the finest contribution that the French ever made to humanity was dauphinoise potatoes. Actually, I cannot think of anything else they gave us apart from Brigitte Bardot and sneering.
ReplyDeleteGood wine, Bugatti cars, Cycle racing, Croissants, arrogance, Matisse; there were a few other things.
DeleteOh yeah, Nazi collaborators.
DeleteWhite flag wavers.
DeleteAw gosh, I love potatoes too, and yes, whatever did we do before the UK had them? Parsnips, cabbage and swedes I suppose - the diet in the old days must have been very uninteresting, not that I know a lot about it really, but there were a whole load of things we didn't have in those days. The only redemption as far as I can see would have been the copious bread, butter, eggs and cheese, which, come to think of it, for me is actually quite a good potato substitute!
ReplyDeleteI was without potatoes in the house for ONE DAY last week, and I panicked. I had all the other standbys, so we survived.
DeleteI am growing my spuds in bags, I grew them last year and got a good crop.
ReplyDeleteI used to have quite a big Veg' patch, but it wasn't big enough to grow for a constant supply. A few grow-bags would probably have been a good idea for us too.
DeleteMy husband has searched for 20 years to find a decent potato in Italy, it doesn’t exist. We greatly miss spuds when we are here. Italian ones are only edible mashed with milk butter and grated Parmesan even then they are nothing special.
ReplyDeleteSome of the French varieties are quite good, but they don't take them as seriously as we do here in the UK.
DeleteYou peel them! That’s the best bit. I haven’t peel a potato in years.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually either, but I was preparing them to go with some choucroute, and skins would never do!
DeleteAlthough I am a pretty good cook, I have never mastered making rösti, which I adore. Have you ever tried making it Cro?
ReplyDeleteYes, and do so often. I think the only secret to a good Rosti is to squeeze ALL the water out of the grated potato.
DeleteSimple tasty foods.
ReplyDeleteFilling, warming, and delicious.
DeleteWe get local potatoes which are good roasted, Egyptian potatoes which are usually good for frying or Cyprus potatoes. Can't remember what they're best for. Probably everything but they're twice the price of Egyptian. Guess which we buy!
ReplyDeleteI used to love fries, a meal in 15 minutes, but don't eat them anymore. Except to pinch 1 or 2 when they look really irresistible. The good old spud. The family eats kilos of them. K loves them.
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Both my wife and I could eat creamy mashed potatoes every day. We don't of course, but I like the idea.
DeleteI have an aversion to potatoes and don't like them in any form. Chips, roasted, baked, boiled or mashed... all yuk in my book!
ReplyDeleteGosh!!! I've never heard of anyone who hated potatoes. You must be a member of a very small club. Can we not convert you?
DeletePotatoes are always a great add on to any meal. Lately, I slowly stir fry a mix of chopped potato, onion, red and green pepper and green beans, plus spices. It makes an excellent dish hot or cold.
ReplyDeleteSounds very good. If it was me I'd add Cumin!!!
DeleteI've often thought if I were on a desert island and could have one type of food with me what would it be? I've always thought - definitely peanut butter! But if it had to be a veggie, it would be potatoes.
ReplyDeleteI doubt if you could survive on Peanut Butter, but you probably could on Spuds!
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