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Potatoes, The Everyday Food.

© Bob Ewing

You just gotta love the versatile potato. Mashed, baked, french fried, salad, bread, the possibilities go on and on. Perhaps, best of all, they don't cost all that much at the supermarket. Better still, if you even have a small bit of land, they are easy to grow. I have grown, mini-potatoes, blue potatoes and Yukon types. I enjoy them all. I have planted them in straw, in tires with straw or soil, container and in mounds located in the corner of the vegetable patch. I find that there are too few varieties available on the local shelves. Russets and Idahoes and that's about it.

Locally, the Salt River Valley produces an excellent crop and when I run out of my own, I have no problem buying them from a local grocer. I try and avoid the big chain stores. The potatoes and other so called fresh food often travel far to far to get from the field, where they are grown, to my kitchen.

I always laugh when I see potato skins on a restaurant menu. Why? Well at home so many people shun the skins, unless the potatoe is baked. The problem is that the skin makes healthy eating, so when you peel the potatoes and toss it away ( lets hope it at least makes it into the compost) you are throwing away good nutrition. Still, I won't pay for them, appetizer or not. I'd rather order soemthing unusual, that I normally can't get at home. I leave the skins on whether I am making mashed potatoes or potato salad. A lazy cook's recipe for potato salad follows this article.

Potatoes also store well. Some varieties better than others. The problem is that so few modern homes come equipped with real root cellars which are the best place to store potatoes. The average basement just does not do the job as well. Modern kitchens are often inadequate as well, but that is a subject for another week.

Potatoes

The Lazy Cook's Potato Salad:

When shopping, select the smallest potatoes in the bin. For two people, I use about 15 small or new potatoes. This makes enough potato salad for 4 people. Serve with cheese, rolls, a green salad and/or bean salad for a balanced meal.

Ingredients:

15 small potatoes 1 cup frozen green peas 1 carrot shredded 1 small purple onion, diced a light Italian salad dressing;

Quarter the potatoes and steam them ( about 4 minutes)