PRODUCE PICKS: POTATO TIME

By Greg Dunne                                            

March 1, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) --  It’s potato time! Yummy potatoes go with just about any meal. No, potatoes are not boring, they’re easy to cook with and delicious. With all the great varieties, Red Potatoes (also called new potatoes) White Potatoes, Yukon Gold, Purple, Russet, Baby Potatoes, they are fun to cook with.  And my favorites are potato pancakes-- see recipe at the end of article.

Potatoes are a staple at the produce department. With recent supply shortages and the shipping difficulties going on in these times, potatoes have still been very steady in supply. Deferent potatoes can be used in a variety of ways. The traditional uses for potatoes are: Russet Potatoes are used for baking and frying. Red Potatoes for potato salad. White and Yukon for mashing. Baby and Fingerling potatoes for baking or frying. However, all potatoes can be used in different ways, you don’t have to stick with the traditional way of using them.

The skills needed to pick out the best potatoes at the produce department are pretty minimum. Potatoes are pretty basic, Russets sometimes have quite a few small marks and cuts on them and I like to avoid those. I always like picking out the single potatoes vs. the bag so I can see what I’m getting. But buying the Russets in a 5 lb. or 10 lb. bag can be a better value, especially if you’re mashing or using other than baking. White and Yukon are similar, but the Yukon Gold Potato is sweeter and will have a slight gold color. When picking out Red Potatoes I like to pick slightly darker red potatoes than the ones that have less color.

With proper storage, potatoes will keep a long time. Keep them out of the light with good ventilation, especially White and Yukon Potatoes. They will turn green if not kept in the cupboard out of the light. Russets tend to keep a little longer than other potatoes. We grew some potatoes recently with not much luck; I need to brush up on my potato gardening skills. But we did get some and are going to enjoy them. Homegrown are always the best.

 A little history of the potato: wild potato species can be found throughout the Americas, from Canada to Southern Chile. It’s believed that genetic studies trace the potato to present-day Peru and northwest Bolivia. Potatoes were domesticated there approximately 7,000-10,000 years ago. Potatoes were introduced to Europe from the Americas in the second half of the 16th century by the Spanish. It is an essential food source worldwide.

And now for the recipe for the best potato pancakes in the world from my wife, Dianne.

POTATO PANCAKES

Wash, pare and grate 6 to 8 medium-sized potatoes (approximately 4 cups grated) and 1/2 medium size onion. Set aside and allow liquid to collect.

Combine in a separate bowl and beat well:

2 Eggs

2 Tbsp. Flour

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1/4 Tsp. Baking Powder

1/8 Tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper

1 Tbsp. Minced Parsley

Add flour & eggs mixture to grated potatoes and onion and mix in well.

Heat oil in skillet to 350º-375º. Spoon 1 Tbsp. for each pancake and cook over medium heat until golden brown and crisp, turning once. Will need about 5 minutes on each side.

NOTE: I prefer a larger pancake and use an ice cream scoop (about 1/3 cup each) to measure pancake mixture. Once in the pan I tamp down the mixture to spread out evenly making them about 1/4 inch thick. Between batches the pancake mixture will have separated. Mix the liquid back in well before starting a new batch. Leftover cooked pancakes can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator several days or frozen for a couple of months.

German potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer) are great with applesauce or sautéed cinnamon apples as my great grandmother would serve them. Greek Polpetes are served with sour cream, cucumber dill sauce, or a creamy feta cheese sauce. 

Other cultures top them with smoked salmon and cream cheese, marinara, poached eggs, or a variety of cheese types – often including pureed fruit such as mango or blueberries with mint leaves.  Swedish Raggmunkar are traditionally served with fried unsmoked bacon and lingonberry jam; Polish Placki Ziemniaczane are topped with a variety of sauces from goulash, mushroom sauce, sour cream or apple sauce and British potato cakes are often made with tomato or cheese added to the mix. Jewish Latkes have been prepared as part of the Hanukkah festival since the mid-1800’s and are not always made from potatoes.  Prior to the introduction of the potato to the Old World, Latkes were made from a variety of other vegetables depending on the available local ingredients such as carrots or zucchini.

Whatever you call them, potato pancakes are an oft forgotten favorite in our household and any leftovers seldom go to waste when I make them.