potato star power
For many centuries, the potato has been nominated in its secondary role shared with the leading bird, the turkey, which is celebrated during Thanksgiving meals around the world. This is a fitting ode to the lowly, humble potato.
The potato comes in the form of more than 5,000 varieties to choose from. I once planted the tubers and grew the potato in my garden and have seen many varieties at local farmers markets including Brown Russets, Yukon Golds, White Fingerlings, Tiny Egg New Potatoes, and Red, Purple, and even Blue Potatoes. They all taste good and can be easily gobbled up, but be careful with greens, especially those that have been out in the sun because they tend to taste bitter.
potato goodness
Yes, a potato is full of energy with many good nutrients, mainly more potassium than a banana to keep your heart and all your cells happy. Potatoes are high in fiber to help with digestion and support your immune system with vitamin C. You’ll find that potatoes are high in vitamin B6 for your metabolism, plus iron gives you needed energy. The potato is a good carbohydrate and is low in fat. Keep in mind that most of the nutrients are found just below the skin, so rub in gently and enjoy.
The Russet Burbank potato is a large variety of potato with brown skin and white flesh. It is commonly used in French fries at fast food restaurants. When used to make potato chips, it results in a dark colored potato due to caramelization, its sugar content is higher than that of the Maris Piper potato, more commonly used by potato chip manufacturers. It also has high antioxidant activity, which is rare for starches.
Types of potato energy
I thought of some of my favorite ways to prepare potatoes and maybe you’d like to add those to the list too.
1. Mashed potato puree
Have you ever made mashed potatoes and added sour cream? Have you tried mashed potatoes with caramelized shallots or spring onions? Then there is the mashed potatoes with a kick, adding horseradish!
2. Cheddar Potato Boat
If you’re on a diet or maybe you’re eating a simple baked potato and want some tips for entertaining the kids with a new recipe, the toppings for a baked potato are endless. Starting with a fluffy baked potato adding sour cream and green onions to bacon bits and melted shredded cheddar cheese on top. This is a proper meal. Some dieters prefer cottage cheese and mustard instead of all butter. Plus, there’s the twice-baked potato with horseradish.
3. French Fries
Whether you’re cutting the potato into thin slices, sticks for French fries, or grated for hash browns, with a little oil in the pan you can serve up a satisfying hot dish with a choice of ketchup or dipping sauce. How about those garlic fries?
4. Grilled potato
5. Baked Potato and Au Gratin Potatoes
6. New Potato (with lemon butter)
7. Potato pancake, potato hash and baked potato stew with bacon coverage.
8. Latkes
9. Spanish potato omelette
10. Potato Salad, German Potato Salad, Nicoise Salad with Yukon Gold Potatoes adding Fennel.
Being Greek, one of my favorite Mediterranean dishes is vegetables roasted in olive oil. Adding one or two cubed potatoes along with bell peppers, onions, garlic, zucchini, and carrots makes for a delicious and healthy meal to serve, with or without meat. Remember to add the oregano and I guarantee that everyone will be drawn into your kitchen by the wonderful aroma and gather around your table, family and guests will congratulate and thank you for this one.
Creativity with potatoes
If you are a “Picasso Potato” and enjoy doing crafts with children, you have undoubtedly experimented with block stamping. Maybe you’ve added carrots and cut out paper feathers for your funny-looking character, Mr. Spud Turkey. Do you remember putting toothpicks around your potato and standing it upright in a mason jar or vase with joyous anticipation and anticipation of having your very own “sprouted potato” vine or bush? Do!
History and Origin
Do you remember going to the basement to pick up some winter squash or a potato or two to take home? I was thinking about the tuberous, starchy crop called potato, which also belongs to the nightshade family, and its origin. Perhaps our story should begin with: “Once upon a time there was a tuberous vegetable that grew slowly wild in the Andes mountains and became the amazing and powerful potato. It seems that the early beginning of the potato has genetically proven origins in southern Peru, where potatoes were first grown. domesticated between 3000 BC and 2000 BC.
The birthplace of the “Irish” white potato we eat today is in the Andean mountains of South America, at elevations of 4,000 to 6,000 feet. The potato was cultivated more than 6,000 years ago near Lake Titicaca, on the border between Peru and Bolivia.
Once established in Europe, the potato soon became an important staple food and field crop. The potato was brought to Ireland in 1565, one story goes, while others say Sir Walter Raleigh first grew it there in 1585. But a lack of genetic diversity, due to the very limited number of initially introduced varieties, left the crop vulnerable to disease. In 1845, a plant disease known as late blight spread rapidly through poorer communities in the west of Ireland, resulting in crop failures that led to the Great Irish Famine. Approximately 1,500,000 Irish died, while another 1,000,000 emigrated, mainly to the United States.
The potato remains an essential crop in Europe. The potato is the fourth largest food crop in the world, after rice, wheat and corn. China is now the largest potato-producing country and almost a third of the world’s potatoes are grown in China and India.
What surprises me is that the easy-to-grow plant has the ability to provide more nutritious food faster on less land than any other food crop and in almost any habitat.
Potatoes have been one of humanity’s most important staple foods for the last millennium. Throughout Latin America, the potato is still known by the Quechua name PAPA.
So, for this wonderful holiday with grateful hearts and thanks for so many blessings, may they eat and enjoy the power of the potato, while perhaps later, towards the end of the day, becoming that “couch potato”.