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

By: Maven

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.

By: wwjudith

wwjudith — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I enjoy your blog very much--you write in an approchable and enthusiastic voice. The bread one was particularly appealing.

I also like potatos. I like the little red ones, and the waxy banana-shaped ones. I make mashed potatos with skins (to show that it's real), a masher, and butter. I'm going to try the recipe out, although I have a non-adventurous eater for a husband.

I see from reading your comments that you have another friend who'se name is Judith--not a common thing at all; so I added the ww to diferentiate.

How much vinegar in the cook-water of the red cabbage to preserve the colour? If I steam it can I sprinkle it with vinegar?

By: Barbara Fisher

Barbara Fisher — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hey Judith! Yeah, I have two Judith friends and an Aunt Judy and my Mom's name is Judy. Weird, huh?

A tablespoon or two of lemon juice in the water will help; if you steam, use a non-metal steamer basket and squeeze the juice of a lemon over the cabbage to retain color. Also--if you can cook in an enamelled or non-metallic pan, it will also help retain anthocyanin color in your fruits and vegetables.

By: Lexica

Lexica — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That’s the prettiest saag aloo I’ve ever seen. I think I need to pick up some potatoes at the farmers’ market tomorrow and try this.

By: Barbara Fisher

Barbara Fisher — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +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.