Comments on: One Potato, Two Potato, Red Potato, Blue Potato

Comment on One Potato, Two Potato, Red Potato, Blue Potato by: Maven

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 04:25:16 +0000

Oh man…my husband’s grandparents grow kennibecs. Some of my fondest memories as a newlywed are following Grandpa on the tractor in the “family” garden. All the brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews scrabbling to pick up those tender brown ‘taters. My nephews jocking to get the big ones first in a crazy potato race. Grandma following a row or so behind and cheerfully cat-calling as she picked up missed potatoes and the tiny little potato balls the kids didn’t think worthy of going into the buckets.
Hot, dirty, dangerous work with the fire ants swarming from their newly plowed-over mounds…frying up those fresh from the dirt potatoes as my husband washed off the dirt and chiggers. Nothing tastes like that. Nothing.
We lost Grandpa at the age of 97 this last December. My sister-in-law and her husband planted the potatoes for the family this march. My nieces and nephews are all grown, and great-great-grandchildren will toddle between the plowed rows this June as Grandma (an active 95) teases them about leaving so much un-picked in their rush.

Comment on One Potato, Two Potato, Red Potato, Blue Potato by: Barbara Fisher

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 15:59:59 +0000

Thank you, Zarah!

The range in colors, shapes, textures, sizes and flavors of potatoes is amazing, and I could probably do several more essays on the topic easily. I should like to see the vendors in Bolivia--the colors of food and clothing always attract me and affect me deeply.

That gratin sounds lovely--I will have to try it when next I get my hands on some blue potatoes.

Calendula grows here, too, Judith--but my favorite edible flowers that I grow are nasturtiums, pansies and viola, roses and lavender. I grow lots of those every year and use them as garnishes and in salads.

Comment on One Potato, Two Potato, Red Potato, Blue Potato by: Zarah Maria

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 15:59:59 +0000

Hi Barbara!

The Saag Aloo looks beautiful - I haven’t ventured much into the land of Indian cooking, but this sounds delish!

And potatoes, mmmm! When I was in Bolivia they had the most adventurous colors and shapes and sizes of potatoes I’ve ever seen - your first picture immediately made me think of all the little stalls with the little women in their bright clothes selling just as bright potatoes in the thin air - thanks for bringing the image back to me!

I’ve used blue potatoes in a gratin dauphinoise (that is the name of the one with all the cream, right?) It was superb, and the color really got to shine through! I also found the texture of the blue potatoes to be really nice in the gratin. Ah, if only we’d have blue potatoes this season! Great post!

Comment on One Potato, Two Potato, Red Potato, Blue Potato by: wwjudith

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 15:59:59 +0000

My non-adventurous husband will not eat turmeric, but you can get the same effect(although not taste) with calundula petals. I grow them, so they would probably grow anywhere.

Comment on One Potato, Two Potato, Red Potato, Blue Potato by: Barbara Fisher

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 15:59:59 +0000

Why, thank you!

It all comes from not overcooking the spinach.

The dish looks especially well on a plate with a rice pillau colored yellow with turmeric and a reddish or orange colored dish like vindaloo or rogan gosht.

With Indian foods, I really like the colors to be vibrant, so some things I cook less than many Indian cooks do, and I do what is authentic and serve a lot of fresh chutneys alongside. I also do things that are untraditional, like putting fresh mango cubes into a vindaloo at the last minute as a garnish or sprinkling fresh pomegranate seeds over a dry cooked meat cube dish like bohti gosht along with chopped cilantro, which is traditional.

It is because I am in love with the colors of India--the throbbing hues of Bollywood movies, the scintillating silk and cotton dyed saris and lengha-choli dresses, the shades of flower petals used in rangoli...it is all delectable to me. So, of course, when I cook Indian food, I want my plates to reflect that color bounty.