Potatoes are Versatile and Delicious

The most popular vegetable in America is the amazing potato. Potatoes are an excellent source of energy, full of nutrition, very versatile, and are easy to prepare in a large variety of recipes.

Potatoes are very high in vitamin C, offering 45% of our daily supply. They are high in fiber and contain more potassium than a banana. They are also fat free, cholesterol free, low in sodium and low in calories. The skin of the potato offers fiber, iron, calcium and several B vitamins. Potatoes are easy on the family budget, cheap to buy and available in all seasons.

The versatile potato is one of the best foods for your family, adding variety and nutrition to any meal. Almost all kids love French fries and potato chips are everyone’s favorite snack food. A barbecue or picnic would be incomplete without potato chips on the table.

For baking: Russets, Gold Rush, Long White and Idaho potatoes which are all excellent choices. Although they have a rough texture to the skin, they are fluffy and light when baked. When mashed they are smooth and creamy and they make the best fried potatoes.

For boiling choose: Round White, Round Red, Red Bliss, or Red Pontiac potatoes. These are best for soups, potato salads, in casseroles or scalloped. They can be used for mashed potatoes but they may be thicker than desired.

Other delicious varieties are: the Yukon Gold which offers a light golden color with a slight buttery taste and the Peruvian Blue, Kennebec and Ruby Crescent potatoes are delicious when prepared in any style. These all purpose varieties will be moist when baked, will hold together well when boiled, and are delicious fried. They are also good in soups, stews and casseroles.

Fresh new potatoes are a real treat, you can usually buy them at the local farmers market or at your grocery store when in season. They are delicious cooked with fresh green beans or creamed with peas offering a meal fit for a king.

You can grow potatoes in your vegetable garden, along a fence, or along the side of the garage. You can buy seed potatoes or use a potato from your pantry that has been around long enough to sprout a few eyes. Cut the potato in chunks, with at least one eye and put in loose soil. The plants can be covered with soil or straw. When allowed to grow to maturity a few seed potatoes will give you a large yield.