NATIONAL POTATO DAY
What I say is that, if a man really likes potatoes,
he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow. ~AA Milne (1882 – 1956)
I see that today, August 19th is National Potato Day. Intrigued, I clicked on it and was disgusted to find myself dragged to an advert for reducing belly fat, with no mention of anything potato-related. Is there no end to the lengths people will go to see their snake oil and gimmicks? Whatever happened to honesty? Has it become a relic of a century, a distant memory that will inevitably date people telling their grandchildren about antiquated virtues, seen by the young who are too cool for old school?
As for foods, you can’t get more honest than a potato. I take that back. Of course you can. The debate rages on about what exactly is in McDonald’s french fries? They taste like fried potatoes to me. I’d expect a good-tasting product from someone who’s been making them for half a century. Competitor’s fries, on the other hand, have a distinctly artificial flavor, something you can easily recognize if you don’t eat a lot of processed food products.
Some big food companies are jumping on the Simplicity Sells bandwagon, billing their chips and fries as being made of potatoes, oil, salt and nothing more. It is good to eat real foods that contain only a few ingredients. But did you know that deep frying food – any food – effectively removes every trace of nutritional value? Regardless of how real and lonely, potato chips and French fries are absolutely devoid of nutrients, no two ways about it.
However, we all have our moments. My particular food fetish is potato chips, and I even like a particular brand of potato chip. I compensate for the lack of food value in the chip by dipping it in plain yogurt, sometimes Greek yogurt. I could add fresh dill, chipped onion and cucumber, balsamic vinegar or a little blue cheese to dress it up, but I actually really like the simplicity – and maybe the dichotomy – of the sacred along with the profane.
The very, very good and the horrid. And I take big gulping dips of the dip, knowing that eating more plain yogurt is always better. What ways do you find to temper the lesser nutritional food choices?
BORED WITH POTATOES?
Not only for those with kids who are reluctant potato eaters, check out this YouTube animated video of the Spudding Taternacle Choir. Now that’s entertainment.
Did you know that there is a Potato Board? That is the trade association for the potato industry. Of course they have a wwebsite, at Healthy Potato. Here are the potato facts they would like everyone to know about a medium potato (5.3 oz) with its skin on:
- Costing just 25 cents per serving, the potato is one of the greatest nutritional values in the produce department.
- Has 110 calories.
- Has nearly half your Daily Value of vitamin C (45%).
- Is one of the best sources of potassium (614 mg) and fiber (2 g).
- Is inherently fat-free and sodium-free.
- Contains many of the nutrients recommended by the USDA Dietary Guidelines.
For more information the Idaho Potato Commission makes potatoes it’s business and answers your burning questions. Another website, In Depth Info, talks about the minutiae of the spud.
Check our the sidebar for potato preparations:
- Leek & Potato Soup This delicate soup is good served hot or cold (see SOUP).
- Potato Salad As American as apple pie (See SALADS).
- As a Side Dish Potatoes can be pan-fried, baked or mashed (See VEGETABLES).
- Cream Sauce A simple sauce complements tiny potatoes and pearl onions (See CONDIMENTS & SAUCES).
- Roasted As a side to roasted meat (See POULTRY).
- Boiled A basic way to cook the potato (See MEAT).
- Omelet Anthony Has potato, greens and two sauces, making this the best omelet ever (see EGGS).
POTATO MISCELLANY
- Potato skins contain all of the nutrients of the spud, so don’t be so quick to peel.
- You won’t gain anything by cooking a potato in the microwave. It changes the texture, making it mealy.
- The cooking time of potatoes is in inverse proportion to the size. To cook potatoes quickly, cut them into smaller pieces.
- Leftover potatoes can be added to soup, thickening them in the process; added to leftover gravy; mashed and formed into potato pancakes and pan-fried; or, ground together with onion and leftover corned beef, to make ham hash.
- Cut in half and carved with a design, potatoes make an easy, inexpensive way for kids to block print using finger paints.
Since no summer is complete without at least one serving of this classic American dish, today’s preparation is for Potato Salad. It contains a twist that stretches the ordinary into the fabulous.
SEE SIDEBAR FOR PREPARATIONS & INFORMATION
