We know our men love meat and potatoes, so potatoes were only fitting for the annual Men’s Issue Produce Pick, plus they are one of the only locally grown vegetables available this time of year. They are completely comforting baked, mashed or in a warm bowl of soup, but try a few new possibilities with America’s favorite vegetable. These three recipes are staples at the Heany house (search #heanyhousekitchen for more recipe ideas).
Hot Potatoes: Served as a breakfast or dinner side dish, these spuds pack the heat. Saute potatoes with a medley of onions and peppers (red, yellow, orange, green), and before serving add pickled jalapeno and banana peppers, sour cream, and a drizzle of Sriracha.
Make a Hash: Sauté potatoes with Brussels sprouts, onions and cubed pancetta for a simple yet satisfying one-skillet meal. Or try adding kale or spinach in place of Brussels sprouts.
Stepped up Scalloped Potatoes: Leeks, artichokes and gruyere add sophistication to scalloped potatoes. Sauté 2 leeks in 2 tablespoons of butter. Layer 6 thinly sliced potatoes in a baking dish, alternating with leeks, 1 cup of artichokes, shredded gruyere (about ¾ pound total), salt and pepper. Add a dash of nutmeg to 1 cup of cream, pour over potatoes and bake, covered, for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more until cheese topping is golden brown. Let rest about 20 minutes before serving.
Selecting Spuds:
Round white potatoes (those with a smooth light tan skin) are best for scalloped potatoes, roasting and potato salads.
Red potatoes make for a pretty potato salad with skins left on. They are also good for boiling and roasting. Small red potatoes are harvested before they reach maturity, making them sweeter and lower in starch.
Russets are the best choice for mashed potatoes due to their starchy flesh. They’re also good for baking and frying.
Yellow flesh potatoes such as the Yukon Gold variety are known for their buttery texture, making them tasty mashed or roasted.
Long white potatoes, with their oval shape, light brown skin and tiny “eyes,” are America’s all-purpose potato. You can also find potatoes of almost every hue–from lavender to blue–at local farmers' markets.
Nutrition Facts:
Potatoes are one of the most economical sources of Vitamins C and B6, magnesium, folic acid, copper, potassium and iron. In fact, potato skins have more potassium than a banana, 3 grams of protein and 35 percent of the daily value of Vitamin C.
While potatoes get a bad reputation for carbs, they’re actually only 10 percent of your daily intake. Potatoes contain only 100 calories and no fat, plus good-for-you fiber.
Buy organic. Potatoes are listed as one of the “Dirty Dozen” according to the Environmental Working Group, which means they are among the top 12 produce items containing the most poisonous pesticides. See the full list and learn more at www.ewg.org.
Did you know?
Potatoes are actually a tuberous underground stem. Pennsylvania grows 11,090 acres of potatoes, according to the Pennsylvania Vegetable Marketing and Research Program. Potatoes are the second most consumed food in the U.S., trailing only milk products. But Germany has the highest consumption of any other country (so it’s no coincidence why potatoes are so popular with Pennsylvania's heritage). There are over 3,000 varieties of potatoes, originated in the Andes mountains.