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The Kitchen Gardener by Brigitte Dimock Potatos - the ultimate comfort food vegetable The potato was first cultivated in Peru by the Inca Indians. When the Spanish Conquistadors conquered Peru in 1536, they took the potato back to Europe with them. By the end of the sixteenth century, the Basques were cultivating potatos along the Biscay coast of northern Spain. Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatos to Ireland in 1989. In 1621, the Governor of Bermuda sent two large chests of potatos to Jamestown, Virginia. The first permanent potato patches in North America were established in 1719 in New Hampshire. Interesting Uses of Potatos 
Potatos, tomatos, peppers and eggplants are all members of the Solanaceae family. Most of these plants originated in south and central America and they require very rich, damp and fertile soil. They are not frost hardy, so do not plant them until all danger of frost is over. If you can, dig the soil the previous fall and incorporate plenty of manure or compost. Potatos are generally grown from sets. If you plant a potato, it will grow into a potato plant which produces between six and a dozen or more potatos. (The actual potatos are not roots; they are swollen underground stems.)There are more than 400 varieties of potato; however, we need to know only a few general categories as they are found in the grocery stores: new potatos, red potatos, russets, and white potatos, long or round. Less starchy new potatos are perfect for boiling and steaming; their firm texture makes them ideal for potato salads. Mealy textured russet potatos make the best baked potatos. Long white potatos, sometimes called Idaho potatos can be used for any purpose. Round white potatos are good for mashing and frying. One 7 oz. baked potato has only about 220 calories as long as it is not smothered in butter, sour cream or cheese sauce. Try some low fat yogurt, low fat cottage cheese or salsa instead. Potatos are high in vitamin c, iron, potassium (about twice as much as in a banana). They are also a good source of complex carbohydrates and fiber. A baked potato with the skin as has much fiber as 1/3 cup serving of oat bran. Cheddar Cheese Potatos with Sour Cream - 6 servings 6 medium baking potatos 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 2 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese 1/3 cup minced onion (using green onion adds nice color) 1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper. 2 tablespoons butter Paprika Boil potatos until tender. Drain, cool slightly, peel and shred (a potato ricer works well). Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter an 8" square baking dish. In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter, saute onion and red pepper. Add ½ of the cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is almost melted. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream or yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Fold into potatos. Pour into prepared dish. Top with remaining cheese, sprinkle with paprika. Bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. If you are having company, this is a good dish to prepare before your guests arrive. It can then be popped into the oven to reheat. It will take about 45 minutes to reheat. Read previous Kitchen Gardeners. May 2002 Potatoes Mar 2002 Leeks Feb 2002 Squash |