A Passion For Potatoes

Peeling Potatoes, by Ernest Walbourn

British, 1872-1927

Potato Digging in the Kitchen Garden

by William Small,  British: 1843-1929

Potato Harvest

by Ernest Masson (France 19th century)

Planting Potatoes

by Frederick Leighton

Britain, 1830-1896

Digging Potatoes

by Carl Larsson,  Sweden, 1853- 1919

Digging Potatoes November 4th

These are all Copyrighted photos: all rights reserved! Do not duplicate or put anywhere on the web.

How do you know when a potato is ready?  When the blossoms and the vine dies and looks lifeless.

Looks like there is something here...

I am quite sentimental about potatoes.

Potato digging is very hard labor and  dirty work...

Yet, it is somewhat more glorified if my dress matches the potatoes. This cotton fabric did not stain or tear, and looked just like those pink skinned potatoes. Please notice the back grounds of the potato diggers in the paintings of the 1800's and take in the pretty clothing of the homemakers of the 1800's, depicted there.  As I love potatoes I was just thrilled to find several artists that capture the women planting, harvesting and preparing potatoes. This is true beauty!

They scrub up quite nicely. I can bake them or use them in different recipes...

...such as baking them in a large, shallow pan in the oven, with olive oil and rosemary...

...or making a garden potato salad with tomatoes and chives..

or

Potato Scones, which are always a great hit at a tea party.

Take 6 cups of mashed potatoes and mix in one cup of unbleached flour. Lay the mixture on a flour covered piece of wax paper and pat to about an inch thick. Cut into circles or squares and fry both sides in hot olive oil until brown and slightly crisp on each side. . Let drain on a paper towel and serve with butter or jam or honey.

Our parents wisely put us to work when we were very young, planting and harvesting potatoes. If you have read my book, "Just Breathing the Air, " you would have seen the photograph of me with my first potato crop, which I sold to a local grocery store. I have not stopped loving the discovery of dozens of beautiful pink, gold, or purple potatoes beneath one dead stalk, which began with one tiny potato. 

One reason I like potatoes so much, is that I know how comforting they are, as a food, even when you do not feel well. They are loaded with nutrients that improve your mood and can help you feel better when you are not well.  One way to fix them for a sick person is to cook them til they are soft enough to mash, and mix them with other boiled produce such as green beans, brocoli, carrots, etc.  Take all these cooked vegetables and blend them in a blender or mash them or use a mixer and puree them. Leave some of the broth from the saucepan, and blend it up til it is a soup. Then pour it into a bowl and top it with croutons, and it seems to revive a person suffering from illness.

One reason for this, is that potatoes are easily digestable. Potatoes are packed with Vitamin C and B-complex, and minerals like potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, and zinc, which are all good for your skin!!  You can make a face pack out of crushed  raw potatoes and honey, and you can use a slice of potato on a burn or cut to heal it.  Eating cooked potatoes can help prevent viral infections like colds.

Eating potatoes regularly can reduce high blood pressure and prevent sugar cravings, thus lowering the chances of related diseases. It keeps the brain active and alert, prevents heart disease, kidney stones, and diarrhea. No wonder potato soup is a favorite among potato-lovers.

For me, it is the entire outdoor experience that makes me a potato-lover.  You do not have to be in the country to have potatoes. Just turn a section of your yard into a miniature farm and you'll experience the joy of having your own food, unadulterated by chemicals of any kind. You must dig a shallow, long ditch, and plant the potatoes, sprout side up (or a whole sprouted potato) in the dirt that makes the hill section.  If you will make a distinct mound for each plant, they will be easier to find when it is time to dig.  Dig a wide area around the hill and not too close to the vine, so that you wont cut the potatoes with your shovel. 

Working outside seems to clear the mind of troubles, and renew your optimism. When you return to the house, you feel you can do anything!

Pretty potatoes from my garden: Yukon Gold, White, and Purple. The purple potatoes are purple inside, as well, which adds color to any meal.

Your local farmers market, and some grocery stores that have good produce, is a great way to get the potatoes you need if you do not grow them.  You can use potatoes for the entire meal and put a variety of toppings on them. If you have limited space, try growing them in a large container. You will not even have to dig them. Just pull up the potato vine or dump the pot of soil, and see those wonderful potatoes.

Read more about potatoes here http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-potato.html

and see a list or essential nutrients, including a whopping amount of Vitamin C, here http://home.howstuffworks.com/potatoes3.htm

If you are interested in "potato politics" you might study this site http://mises.org/story/2978