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                            Potatoes

There are lots of ways of preparing these delicious tubers and what we have decided to do is present a few recipes to get you started for a great Sunday dinner.   Don't limit yourself to just one type per dinner.... add a little variety to your Sunday dinner by preparing perhaps three recipes... 

Your dinner will shine and it is lots of fun while getting help from others in the preparation.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

2 tablespoons canola oil
6 6-ounce russet potatoes, quartered, sliced
1/2 teaspoons dried summer savory, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crumbled

Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush heavy large baking sheet
with 1 tablespoon canola oil. Combine potatoes, herbs
and remaining 1 tablespoon canola on prepared baking
sheet and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast in oven until potatoes until golden brown,
stirring frequently, about 40 minutes.

Twice Baked Potatoes with Basil and Sour Cream

8 medium Yukon Gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes (about 2 3/4 pounds)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400°F. With a fork prick potatoes and on a baking sheet bake in middle of oven 1 hour, or until tender. Leave oven on. When potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve lengthwise and scoop flesh into a 3-quart saucepan, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells.

With a potato masher mash potatoes in saucepan with 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in milk and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer shells to baking sheet and brush insides with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season shells with salt and pepper. Mashed potatoes and shells may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat mashed potatoes before proceeding.

Bake potato shells in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes. While shells are baking, cut basil into thin strips and stir about three fourths into warm mashed potatoes. Spoon mashed potatoes into shells and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve each potato half topped with 1/2 tablespoon sour cream and some remaining basil.

Basic Mashed Potatoes

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

2 pounds russet (baking) or red potatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 to 1 cup milk

Peel potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces. (If using red potatoes, it is not necessary to peel them). In a large heavy saucepan simmer potatoes in salted water to cover by 1 inch 10 minutes, or until tender, and drain in a colander. In pan or bowl combine potatoes, butter, and 3/4 cup milk. With a potato masher mash potatoes until smooth, adding more milk if necessary to make creamy. In pan reheat potatoes over moderately low heat, stirring, and season with salt and pepper.

Scalloped Potatoes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 pounds boiling potatoes
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.

In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and add broth in a stream, whisking. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking, and simmer, whisking, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cheese and salt and pepper to taste, whisking until cheese is melted.

Peel potatoes and slice about 1/8 inch thick. In prepared baking dish make 5 layers each of potatoes and sauce, beginning with potatoes and ending with sauce. Scalloped potatoes may be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead and kept covered.

Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake, uncovered, in oven 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender and top is golden.

Pan Fried Potatoes with Paprika and Lemon

The lemon juice gives these potatoes an appealing fresh taste.

3 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika (preferably Hungarian sweet)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add potatoes and sauté until beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion; sauté until onion is just tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in paprika. Cook until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle potato mixture with lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Potato Galette

A wonderful potato pancake that reheats perfectly.
Reheat at 350 F(180 C) for 10 minutes or until heated
through.  If Yukon Gold potatoes are unavailable use
Russet baking potatoes.

3            large Yukon Gold potatoes
4            green onions chopped
              salt and freshly ground pepper
2 thsp     melted butter
2 thsp     vegetable oil

Cut potatoes into julienne strips using the grater blade
of the food processor or by hand. Squeeze out any excess
starch.  Mix potatoes with green onion and seasoning.
Combine butter with oil in a small bowl. In a non stick
skillet, on medium heat, add the butter mixture.
When hot potatoes and flatten into a large pancake
fits the skillet.  Cover and cook until the underside is
browned and potatoes are nearly tender, about 8 to
10 minutes.

Brush top with remaining butter and oil then place
under the broiler and broil for 5 minutes or until the
top is browned.  Release the potatoes with a spatula
and flip potatoes onto a plate for serving. Cut it
into wedges.

Sesame Potato Latkes

2 large potatoes (1- 1/2 pounds), boiled in their skins
1 garlic clove, minced
Vegetable oil
2 tbsp bread crumbs or matzo meal
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sesame seeds

Peel the potatoes and mash until smooth. Add the garlic, 1 tbsp of the oil, and the bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend well. Shape into thin latkes.

Pour sesame seeds into a flat plate and press both sides of the latkes into the seeds to coat them. In a large heavy skillet, heat 1/4- inch of oil. Place the latkes in the hot oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Potato Chips

Try this recipe if you want to impress your kids and they will remember
eating freshly made potato chips the rest of their lives

4 large Russet Potatoes
Canola or Corn Oil
Sea Salt

Clean the potatoes by brushing them with a vegetable brush
You can either leave the skins on or off
Slice the Russet potatoes into very thin slices using a very sharp knife
Soak the slices into ice cold water for at least 2 hours
Rinse these slices well and pat dry them with a paper towel
This will remove a lot of the starch which has a tendency to burn

Heat oil in a deep frying pan or deep fryer
Cook the slices until they are honey brown
Remove the cooked slices and put them on some paper towels to soak up the excess oil
Sprinkle with Sea Salt

Freshly made homemade potato chips have a far better taste than store bought
Just like home made ice cream has certainly a better taste than many of the brands that one can buy at your local grocery store.

Potato Pancakes (Lopchanka)

3 med. size potatoes, grated, raw
1 tsp. grated onion
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten

Mix all the ingredients together and spread on 8 x 13 pan, well greased and bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned.
NOTE: May be fried as small pancakes in shortening on top of stove, turn until brown sides are brown.

Potato Pancakes

This recipe serves: 8

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1 medium onion
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup egg substitute, or 2 whole eggs plus 4 whites
salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)

Serve with: non fat or low fat sour cream or applesauce

Preheat a non-stick electric griddle to 450°F.
Peel the potatoes and onion and coarsely grate in a food processor fitted with a shredding disk, or on a box grater.

Grab handfuls of the grated vegetables and squeeze tightly between your fingers to wring out as much liquid as possible.

Transfer the grated vegetables to a mixing bowl and stir in the flour, baking powder, egg substitute and a pinch of salt and pepper. (The potato pancakes should be highly seasoned.)

Spray the hot griddle with oil (or drizzle the oil on it and spread with a wooden spoon.) Spoon small mounds of potato mixture onto the baking sheet to form 3-inch pancakes, leaving 1 inch between each. Fry the pancakes on the griddle until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning once with a spatula.

Transfer to plates or a platter and serve immediately with sour cream and/or applesauce.

Serving Size: 3 potato pancakes

Best Potato Salad Recipe

4 cups potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed (about 6 or 7 whole potatoes)
1 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup sweet pickles, finely chopped

Boil potatoes whole, with the skins on, in salted water for about 15 to 20 minutes until they are tender in the middle when you prick with a fork. Do not overboil or the salad will be mushy.

Cool the potatoes a bit then peel them, cut into cubes and place in a large bowl.

In a separate smaller bowl combine the mayonnaise, mustard, celery seeds, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the chopped eggs, onion, celery and pickles and mix together to combine.

Pour dressing over the cubed potatoes and mix lightly so as not to break up the potatoes too much. Cover and chill until time to serve.

Makes 6 servings


In the stores in Eastern Ontario you will find a great number of different types of potatoes each having different characteristics and surprisingly many if not all types can be grown in and around the Ottawa Region without any problems.

Varieties of Potatoes

English Varieties and Descriptions

Carlingford: Excellent flavoured mid-season potato. Bright, very whitish skin and white flesh. Round tubers with a high number per plant. Due to the extremely high production per plant, it is highly recommended that there is adequate moisture. Good heat tolerance. Good boiler and baker, but do not over boil.

Maris Bard: Another excellent eating potato. Good tolerance to drought. High yields of attractive oblong tubers. Early potato with wihte flesh. This potato has been grown in the UK for about 35 years. Short storability.

Navan: Late season variety with good storage qualities. Tuber bright in appearance, white, with the occasional slight russetting. The flesh is white and the tuber is round. Good yields are produced. The plants are tall with a very open canopy which allows good air movement throughout the foliage. Excellent for boiling, baking and chipping.

Rocket: Good early potato with a wonderful flavour. Whitish skin and white flesh. Tuber is round with a very good yield per plant. The plants are low and bushy and appear to not topple over so easily in the wind. Quite drought tolerant. Has a moist texture, excellent for or boiling, but be careful not to over boil. Striking plants when in bloom. Flowers are a periwinkle color.

Saxon: You'll rate this one high for flavor, we did! An excellent baker and boiler, but do not over boil. Mid-season potato that has bright whitish skin and very pale cream colored flesh. Very good yield of round to oblong shaped tubers. Good storability. A favourite potato in the UK.

Sierra: Yellow fleshed potato with a great yield. Late season. This is a tall vigourous plant with a beautiful intense purple flower. Excellent baker and fryer. Excellent tolerance for drought. High yielding replacement for Yukon Gold.

Standard Varieties and Descriptions
AC Blue Pride: "NEW" A blue-purple potato with white flesh that is good for boiling. Its chief market for Island producers is Newfoundland. Blue Pride is a mid-season potato that has excellent storablility.

Atlantic: Good fresh market and excellent chipping potato. High yield, mid-season maturity, oval to round shape with white flesh. Medium storage. 

Chieftan: Popular mid-season red shinned round potato with white flesh. High yielder of uniform tubers. Recommended for fresh consumption. Good storability. 

Fontenot: Relatively new (1992) dark red round potato with white flesh. Good boiling and baking qualities. Medium late season. Long storability.

Island Sunshine: "NEW" Developed on Prince Edward Island by Garret Lowe. This very late potato is highly resistant to late blight. It is a high yielding potato that has good baking and boiling qualities. Excellent flavour. Skin color is pale yellow while the flesh is a bright yellow.

Irish Cobbler: A heritage variety of the early eating potato. The most popular early potato at Farm Gate Market and possibly in P.E.I.! Round with white flesh. Medium storage. 

Mcintyre: "NEW" Buff with purple shadings colored skin. This late potato has excellent cooking qualities with flesh that is light cream and tinged with purple. Offers a good yield.

Red Ruby: "NEW" This high yielding potato had bright red skin and white flesh. It is a medium late potato that is excellent for boiling and good for baking. Not a reliable storage variety.

Russet Burbank: This heritage variety is popularly know on P.E.I. as the famous 'Netted Gem'. Good boiling and excellent baking and french fry quality. High yielding with long tubers and white flesh. good storage qualities. Late. 

Shepody: Mid-season long tuber with white flesh. Very good for baking and boiling and also an excellent french fry potato. Very uniform with high yields. Good storability.

Superior: The traditional second early potato here on P.E.I. Good for early boiling and used extensively here for chipping. smooth, round potato with white flesh. Good yields. Not recommended for long storage. Look at some pictures.

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