September 3, 2008Don't be cuttin' on my taters, now
A press kit from the United States Potato Board has got me sprouting questions. This defensive new marketing campaign seems to indicate that potatoes have developed more than a bad spot -- they've gotten a bad rap! The potato people say rumors like this abound: Potatoes are "a fattening, worthless starch with empty calories," they are not a vegetable, they cannot be part of a healthy diet and only the skin is nutritious. I'm not sure where all these concerns started, but it's possible that they can be traced back to the Adkins Diet and its kin -- those eating regimens that prohibit the dieter from ingesting carbohydrates because they turn to sugar, and fat. Maybe I missed it, but I kinda thought those diets were passe. Any diet that prohibited me from eating potatoes would not make it past the first day in my life. I am a potato devotee, a big, red-headed, part-Irish, passionate lover of all things potato. In my opinion, potatoes are delicious just about any way they're cooked -- baked, fried, sauteed, boiled; mixed into soups, stews, casseroles and omelets; for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snack and everything in between. In short, I LOVE potatoes! And if you are worried about the nutritional value of potatoes, here are some factoids from the Potato Board:
* One medium-sized potato counts as one cup of starchy vegetables. And, it is fat- and cholesterol-free. Now, one valid concern about potatoes is even if they are nutritious by themselves, what about all the fattening ways they're prepared? I'm not going to argue that my dream baked potato is topped with butter, sour cream, scallions or chives, and maybe even some bacon and cheese. I also admit to using milk, butter, sometimes heavy cream or sour cream in my mashed potatoes. Those kinds of treats are fine in moderation, just like anything. But the potato board offers a little advice on lightening up your potato dishes, such as mashing potatoes with low-fat chicken broth, topping baked potatoes with salsa, steamed vegetables or reduced-fat sour cream and roasting potatoes with olive oil, garlic and a touch of herbs. My father has a wonderful potato recipe that involves sauteeing diced, skin-on potatoes in a little olive oil in an oven-proof skillet until they are browned a little. Then he tosses in rosemary and sage and some salt and pepper and puts the whole skillet in the oven to bake on about 350-400 until the potatoes are tender. They're delicious. In their pun-heavy press kit, the United States Potato Board also sent along a few healthy potato recipes. I'll share a couple here. If you have a favorite way to enjoy potatoes, let us know. And if you have cut potatoes out of your diet, please write and explain your rationale.
 Subterranean Salad 1 lb. fingerling potatoes Place potatoes, beets, carrots and parsnips in a roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400-degree oven for about 45 minutes or until tender. Cool; cut potatoes and beets in half. Toss frisee with 1/4 cup vinaigrette until well coated; divide among four plates. Toss potatoes, carrots, beets and parsnips with 1/4 cup vinaigrette and scatter on top of the frisee. Garnish with chives. Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette Calories: 350 
Roasted Potato Accordians 4 medium russet or yellow-skinned potatoes Cut each potato across its width into 1/2-inch slices, stopping 1/2 inch before the bottom so that the slices are still joined at the base. Insert one lemon slice, one strip of prosciutto and one slice of garlic into each cut. Place potatoes in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Roast in a 400-degree oven about one hour, or until golden and tender. Serving suggestion: Serve with sun-dried tomato tapenade, Greek feta dip or your topping of choice. Calories: 240 |
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Comments
[September 3, 2008 11:17 AM]
Amy Hanek : →http://www.eatingaroundvirginia.blogspot.comThis time of the year, I would consider myself a "potato-tarian."
I love mashed potatoes the most. Give me a half a dozen Yukon Golds, buttermilk, and a stick of butter.
This fall, I am going to make sweet potato pie for the first time. Anyone have any good recipes?
[September 3, 2008 11:19 AM]
MichelleI love potatoes too! I crave baked potatoes!
[September 3, 2008 11:43 AM]
MarionWe just returned from two months in N. Maine, & brought two 10-lb bags of fresh-out-of-the-ground Yukon Gold new potatoes back with us. I put about 10 of those tiny babies into a shallow pottery dish with a bit of water and nuked them. YUMMM! Nothing better. A little butter, salt & pepper. What could be simpler?
[September 3, 2008 12:19 PM]
EmmaI stopped eating white potatoes for awhile because I just didn't enjoy them. I'm vegan, and the way I grew up eating potatoes (mostly baked or mashed) was pretty boring without all the butter and cream--and I've never been a huge fan of fries--so I pretty much switched to sweet potatoes.
Since getting them in my CSA bag, though, I've been figuring out lots of delicious vegan (and healthier) ways to use them--full of bean chili, as a feature in Indian dishes, and as a thickener in chowders. Yay for potatoes!
[September 3, 2008 2:04 PM]
AllisonThanks for posting this :) My diet consists of only potatoes and pasta (OK, not super healthy but still..) I've got a few friends nagging me, telling me how potatoes do nothing but make people fat but now I have facts for rebuttal!
[September 3, 2008 3:36 PM]
Di : →http://blueridgegal.com/Site_7/Blue_Ridge_Gal/Blue_Ridge_Gal.htmlME LUVS TATOS!!!!
[September 3, 2008 4:28 PM]
Lindsey : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/fridgemagnet/Emma, your comment made me wish I had pointed out how diverse potatoes have gotten in the past few years as this heirloom veggie/local food thing has been heating up. That's not to say that fingerling potatoes and blue and red and yellow potatoes didn't EXIST before, but they are returning in popularity and offer some really neat options in the kitchen. Some might even argue that they taste better. I know Yukon Golds taste better to me than plain old white taters.
[September 3, 2008 6:23 PM]
DebbieI love potatoes in any way shape and form too. The different colored ones make a really pretty potato salad.
[September 4, 2008 9:34 AM]
KathyPotatoes are a staple in our house. My husband has told me a story about when he and his brother were little, his mother made a dinner without potatoes. His brother went next door to his grandparents' house and told his granny they didn't have anything to eat because they didn't have any potatoes for dinner! I've fixed them like your dad has before with the rosemary and olive oil, they are delish! Love me some taters!!
[September 9, 2008 1:39 PM]
DennisHey Lindsey, good subject! I too am a potato lover, fix them any way you want! (Other than "waffle" fries, don't care much for them.) My wife fixes a potato dish for breakfast that is the bomb! I don't really have a "recipe," but here is what she does: Mince onion into leftover mashed potatoes. Spray a pan w/ Pam and layer the potatoes evenly over the whole bottom of the pan. Cook on med-high heat on the stove top until the bottom has browned. Turn the crispy brown part into the rest of the potatoes, then layer over the whole pan again. Keep doing this until there is a lot of brown mixed into the whole thing, then serve hot w/ whatever else you eat for breakfast. For me it's country sausage, eggs, and toast. Yummy!