Potatoes, My Way

Monday, August 30, 2010

Last year was my first experiment with growing potatoes and it was revelatory.  When you eat potatoes that were harvested that same day, the flavor is unbelievably earthy and complicated.  I never knew potatoes could taste like that and I am truly a convert.

So this year I expanded my crop and grew four different types of potatoes:  ‘Yukon Gold,’ ‘Red Pontiac,’ ‘Katahdin,’ and some mysterious small blue potato that my friend gave me.  By far, the ‘Yukon Gold’ potatoes were the most dense, buttery, and delicious and I am definitely going to be growing more of them next year. 

I planted my potatoes in April, they bloomed in June, and I started harvesting in July.  There are still some potatoes in the ground and I plan on leaving them for a few more weeks while we eat the ones I harvested this weekend.  If I wanted, I could leave them in the ground and harvest as late as November.  Potatoes are amazing.

My favorite way to eat my potatoes is chopped with onions and sauteed in left over bacon fat (from bacon that I sometimes treat myself to from Milk and Honey Market at 45th and Baltimore in West Philly.  Yum).

Toss in a few slices of tomato with salt and sugar and presto!  Lunch.