This is great info. Funny there is a movement in Congress to eliminate potatoes from purchase with food stamps. They want people to prepare more nutrious meals using other vegetables.

I have a very un-American allergy to potatoes. Started in my thirties. Actually, it works out well with my carb avoidance. But I get the worst reaction from being around raw potatoes (as when someone is peeling them), so I have to stay out of that situation.

But those recipes look good.

I imagine I wouldn't be alive today without the potato...well maybe it's not to that degree but seems like we had some kind of potato every night...I love love love ...did I say love, pan fried potatoes...oh and mashed...and uh fried...baked...and fried....My folks grew their own and when they were gone they bought potatoes because they were cheap.

I, too love potatoes, and compared to some other things we buy, they are still reletivly affordable, but they too are going up in price. Yesterday the 5# bag of russets cost $2.89 where it used to cost $1.39. I like them sliced abt 1/4 inch thick, sprayed with Pam, seasoned with S&P and baked. Dottie

One of my favorite meals as a kid was fried potatoes and hamburger gravy. Still love it.
:-)

There isn't much better than little red potatoes that have just been dug up from the garden. Cook them with just picked peas or green beans....oh my goodness!
Makes me hungry just thinking about them.
Potatoes are so easy to grow.

Another potato lover here. Last year was the first year we grew potatoes and I have to tell ya'...we had a banner crop. I stored 70 lbs of potatoes, which lasted us through early January. So...this year I planted 3 times as many of the little gems, 4 varieties. We have Kennebec, Yukon Gold, Superior, and Red Pontiac. Two are early crops and 2 are mid to late crops. Hopefully we'll have enough to last us for the entire cold weather season.

i have to laugh whenever i see the UN touting the potatoe like this. they need to a horticulturalist on staff ASAP. unfortunately potatoes do not grow well in very warm areas. here in central FL our potatoe growing season is nearly over till late dec again. just try getting a supplier to ship on a warm season schedule, they are used to shipping to USDA zones 3-8 and beyond zone 8 time tables drastically change. we need our potatoes shipped in dec when the rest of the country can only dream of warm season gardening. growing seasons for our veggies are opposite of the rest of this country and many places outside the US are even warmer for longer periods. it would be nice if they worked on hybriding better and more varieties of potatoes and veggies. ~ liz

My father was 1st or 2nd generation Irish American. We had to have potatoes at every dinner, so I learned to love potatoesk many different ways. I make mashed potatoes from scratch only, no boxed stuff. Cook books don't tend to really teach you how to mash potatoes correctly so they don't turn out all gluey. I am making au gratin potatoes for a weekend birthday bash here to serve with ribs. MMMMMMMM.

I was given

this book for my birthday!

The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World (Paperback)
by Larry Zuckerman (Author)

I just started reading it this morning.

(LOL, the first time I typed that, it came out "starte DREADING it")

The potato has many, many varieties and lots of relatives; there's a tuber for every clime.

Coming from a Scandinavian heritage, potatoes were a staple of our diet and I enjoy them more as I get older. Fried or roasted are my favorites and absolute fav is the browned taters in a cast iron dutch oven along with a beef roast! And I mean super dark brown to blackened for full flavor. Course real mashed potatoes, not polluted with milk and butter, just makes them soupy, mash the potatoes properly and serve those spuds with gravy like God intended! Oh, don't forget the baked (on a grill preferably - microwaving is a poor substitution, and good old real American fries. Yeah, most any way is good.

My problem is I cannot store potatoes for some reason. They'll be mushy or growing within a few weeks to a month. I remember buying 100# bags at home and keeping them for months. No problem. My cousin puts his in the refrigerator but I keep my frig COLD so they freeze in there and are done, plus I don't like how they seem to come out if frigerated... Yeah, I'm a bit fussy. So I use a lot of frozen and canned potatoes which are still a good value. I just made a beef roast and put in a can of whole potatoes. Good eats!

Sheila, are you going to tell us how to mash potatoes so they aren't gluey?

Yeah - how to mash 'em so they're fluffy and tasty?

ole joyful

I was raised on potatoes. We grew our own and kept them all year in the barn. I do know if you are diabetic you have to control the amount you eat, just like any other carb. I can eat them any way you can possible cook them.
I have already been eating new ones just dug from the ground. I would hate to know I was like alisande with an allergy but I would just have to give them up unwillingly.

When boiling potatoes and having a roast ...

... instead of mixing some flour or corn starch into some water to add to the drippings for gravy ...

... pour in some of the surplus potato water.

If you don't like it - I'll be surprised.

Enjoy simple food - add the savings to the "Retirement" (or kids/own education) kitty.

ole joyful

I remember in one of the Little House series of books maybe "The Long Winter" they only had potatoes left to eat and Pa would say something like "Ah! nothing like a baked potato with a little salt" I think they were down to one apiece before the supply train arrived.

Anyone have a good recipe for a potato casserole-type dish with onion, hot milk, cheese -- maybe spinach? My mother used to make a potato dish called Potatoes Anna. Does anyone know of it and have a recipe?

Try this website, Marita. It shows quite a few with that name.

Great mashed potatoes---
Peal and cut potatoes into good sized hunks. I like to use red potatoes for mashing because that is what my mother taught me. Bring to a simmer in an inch to three inches of salted water in a covered pot. Start on high heat and lower to a simmer as soon as the water starts to bubble.

Test for doneness in about 20 minutes--a sharp kitchen knife inserted into the center of a hunk of potato meets no resistance or crunchy raw center. Drain the potatoes.

Now the secret is to return the drained potatoes in their cooking pot back onto the burner and let the remaining water on the pot and chunks evaporate with the lid off the pot. Stir the potatoes briefly so all the surfaces have a chance to dry out. If cooking on a gas stove, turn the heat way down for this step. If cooking on an electric stove, you might find you can leave the heat off and let the residual heat of the electric burner do this. Be careful not to scorch the potatoes.

Heat some whole (preferably) milk. Use a hand masher (if you have one) to break up the potatoes in the pot, add salt, pepper and several chunks of butter cut in small pieces so that they will melt quickly. Now take your portable electric mixer, pour 1/2 cup of warm milk into the potatoes, and beat the potatoes, starting on low speed and moving up to high speed. Add more warm milk quickly to get the proper consistency while beating (don't let them beat at a too thick consistency) and use a rubber spatula to mix the potatoes on the edge and at the bottom into the mixer blades. Serve immediately.