Potatoes

Potato Pizza | Potato Salad w/ Vinaigrette | Potato, Arugula & Bacon Salad | Roasted Rosemary Potatoes | Spanish Tortilla (Potato Omelet) | Gratin Dauphinois (Scalloped Potatoes) | Potatoes Smothered w/ Shallots, Indian Style | Potatoes, Peppers & Tomatoes

Storage

Potatoes stored in the refrigerator will stay fresher and keep longer than those stored at room temperature. Potatoes will turn green if exposed to light. Peel off green parts before using as they are mildly toxic.

Root Cellar

Store unwashed potatoes in a cold, damp cellar (32-34 degrees and 90% humidity) for several months.

Recipes

Potato Pizza

This was a revelation to me the first time I went to Italy.  In the bakeries and by-the-slice pizza joints in Florence and Rome you will find an unusual looking pizza: no red sauce, no cheese, just thin crust topped with sliced yellow potatoes and sprinkled with coarse salt, pepper, fresh rosemary, and a healthy drizzle of the best olive oil. 

• 1 ¼  cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 ½  cups flour
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 pound yellow fleshed potatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt & pepper
• 1 bunch fresh rosemary

Stir yeast and oil into warm water (in the bowl of standing mixer with dough hook, if possible). Stir in flour and salt until dough comes together, then continue kneading (with hook or by hand) until dough is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Turn into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth.  Let rise until doubled, about an hour. Divide in half and let rise again, about 20 minutes.   In the meantime, slice the potatoes into uniform ¼” thick rounds and begin preheating the oven to 500°.  Roll the dough out thin onto cookie sheets or pizza pans dusted with flour or cornmeal.  Drizzle with oil.  Cover the surface completely with potato slices.  Sprinkle generously with the salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary.  Drizzle even more generously with oil.  Bake until the potatoes are blistery brown.  Mangia subito!   

Potato Salad with Vinaigrette

• 1 1/2 lb. new potatoes
• coarse salt
• 1 bunch spring onion, sliced thin
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup good wine vinegar
• salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in salty water until tender but firm, about 15 min. Drain well. When cool, cut into quarters and toss with onion, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Serve slightly warm or chilled.  The flavors will develop as it sits. This salad can obviously be altered in a variety of ways, adding whatever type of vegetable or herb you have or whatever type of flavoring your heart desires.

Fingerling, Bacon & Arugula Salad

• 2 lbs yellow potatoes or fingerling potatoes
  Olive oil
  ½ lb bacon
  1 small sweet onion or scallion, sliced thin
  ¼ lb arugula
  1 ½ Tbsp wine vinegar
  1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
  ¼ cup good quality olive oil
  Salt & pepper

Rinse, scrub and cut the potatoes into small wedges.  Coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast in a 400° oven until done, but not totally browned.  Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp but not burnt.  Drain on paper towels and leave to cool.  Make the dressing by combining the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl and whisking in the olive oil until an emulsion is formed.  Season dressing with salt & pepper to taste.  When potatoes are done combine them in a serving bowl with the onions and arugula.  Crumble the crisp bacon over top with your fingers.  Add the dressing and stir well before serving.  This salad makes the perfect BBQ accompaniment.

Roasted Potatoes with Garlic & Rosemary

• Fingerling or Golden potatoes
• 1 head garlic
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• A few sprigs rosemary or sage

Cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces.  If they’re already bite-sized, even better.  Just add them to a bowl with generous dusting of salt and pepper and olive oil, mixing well to coat.  Tear up the rosemary with your fingers, add to the potatoes, and mix again. Spread them out in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in a hot (400°) oven for about 45 minutes, turning once, or until crispy and golden. Halfway through add the garlic, cut into wedges or left in whole cloves as desired.

Spanish Tortilla

• 1 1/2 lbs Golden Potatoes
  1/2 medium onion
  Olive Oil
  Salt & Pepper
  4 Eggs

This is the classic Spanish potato omelet. It uses humble yet high-quality ingredients and requires some technique. First, peel the potatoes (if desired) and slice the potatoes into thin (1/8") rounds or half-moons.  Thinly slice the onion.  Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a medium sized non-stick skillet.  Fry the potatoes and onion over medium heat.  The pan should be fairly crowded so that they're not all touching the bottom at once.  The trick is to leave the potatoes alone, but without burning them.  They should sit in the oil for 3-5 minutes before agitating the pan, so that they brown slightly.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Flip or stir the potatoes every 5 minutes or so until they are fully cooked, about 20-25 minutes total.  They should be soft and nicely if unevenly browned.  Let the potatoes cool in a mixing bowl for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl and stir but do not beat fully.  Add the potatoes and marinate them in the eggs for 10-15 minutes. 

Heat some more olive oil in a slightly smaller skillet over medium-low heat. Add the potato-egg mixture and cook until just beginning to set, about 3-5 minutes.  Here's the hard part: take a small plate and cover the pan, then invert the pan.  The tortilla should fall out on to the plate. (If it's not set enough, the eggs will go spilling everywhere.  It helps to hold the pan over a clean plate or bowl as you do this to catch any of the eggs should they spill.)  Slide the tortilla back into the pan, cooked side up, and continue to cook until the other side sets.  It is important to do this over low heat because you don't want the eggs to get dried out. When the other side is set, flip again, cook for another few minutes, and flip again.  The measure of doneness is that the tortilla is fully cooked, not too brown, and still moist in the center.  Traditionally, the tortilla is cut into slices or wedges and served at room temperature.

Easy way: Bake the potato-egg mixture in the oven until done.  Or, make it in a pan but transfer it to a hot oven or broiler to cook the top half.     

Gratin Dauphinois (French scalloped potatoes)

• 2 lb. russet potatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup gruyere cheese
• salt and pepper
• pinch nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425. Rub 10-inch rectangular baking pan with cut side of garlic and grease with butter.  Place unrinsed, sliced potatoes in saucepan and cover with milk and cream (add more if needed to cover). Generously season with salt, pepper and dash of nutmeg, bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat.  Pour mixture into pan, sprinkle with cheese and bake one hour or until potatoes are tender and top is browned.  Allow to sit 15 minutes before slicing.

Potatoes Smothered with Shallots, Indian Style

This recipe is adapted from Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking. It couldn't be simpler but the flavor is incredible. Sometimes we add turmeric and brown mustard seed, fried briefly in the oil until they pop and turn grey, or chopped green chilies along with the shallots for a little heat.

• 1 1/2 lbs potatoes
• 4 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch of black pepper

Peel the potatoes and chop in 1/2 inch dice or strips like thick-cut french fries. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet and add potatoes in a single layer. Fry over medium heat  until lightly brown, turning every so often, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl or plate.

Add the shallots to the same oil and cook 5 minutes until nicely browned, stirring constantly. Return the potatoes to the pan and sprinkle evenly with salt. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons water over the potatoes and cover. Reduce heat and let the potatoes cook in the steam for 20-25 minutes or until fork-tender. Check during cooking to make sure the potatoes haven't dried out, and add more water if necessary (but not too much!). 

Uncover and increase heat to evaporate any moisture in the pan and to brown the potatoes, stirring frequently. Check for salt and add pepper.

Potatoes, Peppers, & Tomatoes

• 2 lbs potatoes
• 2 lbs sweet peppers
• 1 lb or less plum tomatoes
• 1-3 heads garlic
• ½ cup Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper

This is a really simple dish that takes advantage of all the flavors of summer.  Cut potatoes into bite sized wedges for roasting.  Cut the peppers into quarters or wide strips (you want them in fairly large pieces).  Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters.  Peel the garlic cloves and leave whole.  Put everything into a large mixing bowl and start pouring on the olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix well and spread it all out in a single layer of a baking sheet or two.  Bake in a very hot 450° oven for 45 minutes to an hour, scraping and turning every so often, until the potatoes are golden and tender and the peppers and tomatoes have dissolved into a concentrated, smoky tasting sauce and everything is floating in oil.  You could add some fresh rosemary to this dish if you wanted, to no ill effect.