Eat Fresh - Potatoes

Published February 7, 2007 in The Spectrum & Daily News

By Kathryn van Roosendaal

Potatoes are the ultimate versatile veggie.

They can be cooked just about any way you can think of: baked, boiled, fried, chipped, stewed, grilled — whatever. And their mellow taste goes with anything. You can fry them with fish, stew them with beef, grill them with venison, bake them with chicken and serve them mashed with pork. They take any spices you want and I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like them in some form or other.

This simple root vegetable comes in a few different forms. The most common type found in our stores are the russets, also referred to as Idaho potatoes (although they don’t all come from Idaho). These are those large, brown potatoes with the creamy white insides. They are great for baking and also work well fried, roasted or boiled for mashing. The smaller red potatoes are good for boiling and stewing. Long white potatoes – similar to a russet but with a pale skin – are great baked, roasted, fried or boiled. And the firm, waxy new potatoes are great boiled or roasted, and they hold together well in salads.

No matter what kind of potato you are using, pick ones that are firm and smooth with no sprouting or mushy spots. They should smell cleanly of dirt and potato with no mustiness. They keep for quite a while in a cool, dark place. Do not wash, scrub or otherwise get them wet until you are ready to use them.

Ham and Potato Casserole

This is a classic in my family. It is great for leftovers after a ham dinner.

10 potatoes, cooked and cubed

1 cup cubed, cut

1/8 cup green onion, chopped (optional)

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1/3 cup milk

8 ounces sour cream

Grated cheddar cheese.

Mix together soup, milk and sour cream in a large bowl. Add the potatoes, ham and onion if using. Mix to blend. Pour into a greased 13-by-9-inch casserole. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serves 6 to 8.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

These are my favorite roasted potatoes. Be sure to get good, sweet onions to go with the potatoes.

6 large potatoes, cut in quarters

6 medium onions, quartered

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried leaf basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place potatoes and onions in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle the vegetable oil over vegetables and sprinkle with pepper, parsley, basil and thyme. Lightly stir vegetables to coat all sides with oil and seasonings. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until fork-tender, turning occasionally to keep the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Serve immediately. Serves 6.