Spice (66 page)

On the day I visited, the kids were harvesting potatoes, and I dug with them. I loosened each side of a row of soil with a pitchfork, and then the kids and I stuck our hands in the dirt and pulled out potatoes. I learned that potatoes are not a root but rather a growth on a stem; sitting in the soil, they look just like eggs in a nest. The instructor said, “This is where French fries come from,” but I couldn’t tell if the kids believed him. We all went into the dining hall and ate a lunch that the kids prepared from freshly harvested vegetables. It was exhilarating to watch these kids connect to their food and the land. For more information on the Farm School, see page 358 in the Resources section.

After my Farm School experience, I returned to the restaurant with my bag of just-dug potatoes. I was glowing so much that my staff asked if I had been drinking! I couldn’t wait to get into the kitchen and start experimenting with the recipe I had been carrying around in my head: just-dug potato “risotto.” I peeled the potatoes and minced them into tiny bits as small as rice granules. I cooked them with pitted green olives, walnuts, rosemary, and cream until the potatoes absorbed the cream, like risotto. Everyone in the kitchen tasted the results, and we all agreed that there was almost nothing better.

Just-dug potatoes are sweet and earthy: the sugars are concentrated and have not yet turned into starch. You can see the sugars: they stick to your knife as you cut the potatoes. Just-dug potato skins are thin, and they thicken when stored. When you wash just-dug potatoes, the skin will almost completely come off.

Just-dug potato season starts in the height of summer in New England and continues through fall. Potato farmers dig their crops at different stages, depending on variety, staggering of crops, and desired size. Even after a week of storage, potato starches change and the skins thicken. Stored potatoes are still delicious, but their flavor and texture have been altered.

Just-dug potatoes are great for roasting or preparing like a risotto or boiling and eating as is. They don’t make a good mashed or puréed potato.

Potato Considerations

It’s important to consider that different potatoes have different textures, and some varieties work better in certain dishes than in others. Here’s my list of potato considerations:

Baking or Idaho or russet potatoes –
Because these potatoes are so starchy, they dry out easily, giving old-fashioned baked potato wedges or steak fries the perfect crispiness. They also absorb butter, cream, and olive oil easily, which makes them work well for mashed potatoes or any potato purée, gnocchi, and dauphine potatoes (potato purée that is piped through a pastry bag and then broiled). With thicker skinned potatoes, peeling is usually necessary.

Fingerling potatoes –
These long, thin potatoes are sweet and firm-textured. They hold their shape when cooked, which makes them great for roasting or adding to stews. The skins are delicious when left on.

Red bliss potatoes –
Because they hold their shape so well, this white and sugary variety is great for cold potato salads and for grilling and roasting. And because they are pale and somewhat bland, they really soak up vinaigrettes.

Yukon gold potatoes –
When shredded, this butter-flavored variety is starchy enough to stick together and fries up extra crispy, which makes it ideal for shredded potato cakes or latkes. Yukon golds are also perfect for scalloped potatoes or pommes Anna (a layered potato cake with clarified butter).

Kennebec potatoes –
These potatoes develop skins thick enough to last in storage. They are also good for baking and are better peeled.

Rules of Thumb for Cooking Potatoes

As for any vegetable that grows underground, start cooking potatoes in cold or warm water. If you drop potatoes into boiling water, they may explode and leave you with potato soup. When potatoes reach boiling temperature slowly, the starch develops a gelatin-like film that slows water absorption; your potatoes will be soft and tender without falling to pieces.

If your potatoes have sprouted or turned green, peel them deeply enough to get rid of the affected areas. At this stage, potatoes harbor toxic alkaloids that can give you an upset stomach.

Potato Risotto with Green Olives, Walnuts, and Rosemary

This recipe is a fun alternative to risotto, and it’s particularly delicious with just-dug potatoes. I created this dish after enjoying the unparalleled just-dug potato experience, described on page 292.

Fresh rosemary complements potatoes well, and I use a little to brighten the floral tones that the olives and walnuts give. The other herbs mentioned in this chapter will also work as a substitute if rosemary is not one of your favorite tastes.

The combination of green olives and walnuts is truly Mediterranean. It’s important to use really good-quality green olives—such as Picholine or Lucques, both from the south of France—that are sweet and floral and not meaty or too briny. The olives should cut through the rich cream and delicately flavor but not overpower the potatoes.

I like to use buttery, creamy Kennebec or Yukon gold potatoes in this recipe but any favorite potato will work. Chopping the potatoes into a very small dice requires some preparation time but is well worth the effort. The French culinary term for a very small vegetable dice is brunoise, and it’s about an 1/8 inch. The potato dice absorbs the cream as it cooks and resembles the consistency of a creamy risotto.

Serve this dish with grilled or roasted meats or with a salad as a substantial vegetarian meal in the summer or early fall. Drink a glass of Sancerre rouge, a red wine from the Loire Valley made from Pinot Noir.

S
ERVES
4

8 to 10 golf ball-size potatoes, washed (peeled, only if skin is thick)

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 shallots, peeled and finely minced

2 cups heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

¾ cup pitted, coarsely chopped Picholine or Lucques olives

4 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.
Cut the potatoes into 1/8-to ¼-inch slices and then julienne each slice into strips a little thicker than a matchstick (1/8-to ¼-inch wide). Dice the julienne into a
brunoise
or very fine dice and place them into a medium mixing bowl. You should have about 4 cups.

2.
In a medium-large, nonstick sauté pan overmedium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot and stir in the shallots. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, and then add the potatoes. Stir to coat with the shallots.

3.
Add the cream and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

4.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and have absorbed all the cream. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

5.
Stir in the olives, walnuts, and rosemary. Thin out the mixture with a spoonful or two of water if the potatoes are too thick. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer to allow the olives and walnuts to warm up and release their fragrance.

6.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Maria’s Shrimp Saganaki Flambéed with Ouzo

This recipe is from the kitchen of my dear friend and amazing home cook, Maria Hatziiliades. Both Maria and her husband Max are from Greece. Maria’s shrimp are a great dish to bring to a summertime party: they’re easy to make, can be served as a light meal, are delicious served hot or at room temperature, and guests can’t get enough of them.

The ouzo is a must: it adds a sweet, slight fennel flavor that can’t be duplicated. Serve this dish with a spicy Malagousia from Greece. If this wine is too difficult to find, try its Italian relative, Malvasia.

S
ERVES
4
AS A MAIN COURSE OR
6
AS A FIRST COURSE

1 white onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice