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| 4 different kinds of potatoes from the farmers' market |
Do you remember the Atkins days when potatoes were beyond
passé? “Too starchy!” “Carb bombs!”
Poor, maligned potatoes. Like
everything, potatoes can be very good for you in moderation. Did you know that potatoes have a moderate
amount of protein and vitamin C? Spanish
colonizers noticed that the soldiers who ate potatoes were less likely to
develop scurvy than those who didn’t because of the vitamin C in the
potatoes. It is also a decent source of
folic acid and very high in potassium.
With the skin, a medium potato (about 6 ounces) has 4 grams of
fiber. Potatoes are virtually sodium-
and fat-free and will only set you back 168 calories. Waxy potatoes have a little bit less starch
and calories, but are still rich in potassium and fiber. Compare that to 2 slices of ciabatta, which
has 260 calories, a lot of salt, and hardly any fiber or one cup of cooked
white rice, which has 205 calories and negligible fiber.
Did you know that potatoes are in the same botanical family
as tomatoes and eggplants? The
nightshade family is so named because these plants can produce
neurotoxins. Potatoes’ neurotoxin is
called solanine, which is made in the green parts of the plant and any green
spots on the potato itself. Light
exposure hastens solanine production, which is why most guides tell you to
store your potatoes in a cool, dark place.
All potatoes make solanine, but the government regulates how much is
allowed to be present in potatoes for sale.
In order to feel any effects of the solanine, you’d have to eat 3 pounds
of potatoes or 2.4 pounds of the skins.
A child would feel the solanine by eating 1.5 pounds of potatoes of 1.4
pounds of the skins.[1] Just to be on the safe side, throw away
sprouted potatoes or ones that are all green.
Have you looked at the varieties of potatoes out there to
buy? Potatoes originate in South
America, where they have been cultivated since at least 500 B.C. Check out this website for more history of
the potato: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PotatoHistory.htm Or read this Smithsonian article about the
role of the potato in creating today’s civilization: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/How-the-Potato-Changed-the-World.html. Or look at the National Geographic photo feature of some of
the more unusual potatoes one can buy in South America: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/food-ark/potato-variety#/1. My favorite is “Makes the Daughter-in-Law
Cry.” In New York, Cornell University
certifies 70 different kinds of potatoes.
At my farmers’ market, I’ve seen about 20 of them.
We usually roast potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and
maybe some rosemary, so our preferred potatoes are the waxy type. If I were to mash potatoes, I would select
Russets or Idahos. The picture above is
of Adirondack Blues, Carolas, Red Sunsets, and another pink one whose name I’ve
forgotten. I’ve also liked German
Butterballs and La Rattes. Every once in a blue
moon, I’ll make mashed potatoes with regular red potatoes, boiling them with
their skins and with a clove or two of garlic.
I like my mashed potatoes pretty rustic, with lots of butter and
salt. Even though I'm from Michigan, I'm not much of a potato salad person. However, I've been told that waxy or medium-waxy is the way to go for a non-mushy potato salad. Tomorrow, I’m
making curried red lentils with potato and chicken in my slow cooker using
starchy russets. I'll let you know how it turns out and if my kids will deign to consume it. How do you use potatoes? What’s your favorite kind? Have you found a way to tell whether a potato
is starchy or waxy just by looking at it in the store?
[1]
Rinzler, Carol Ann. The New Complete Book of Food: A
Nutritional, Medical, and Culinary Guide., 2 ed. New York, NY:
Checkmark Books; 2009.
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