Great Beginnings: Getting Back to Our Roots! Potatoes

I am a day late to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day season with my potato post but I hope that you enjoy my potato and greens pancakes! This is a great time to plant your potatoes in your garden. They are a super fun thing to grow even in a large patio pot for kids. Potatoes have gotten a bad name in the past and in moderate amounts, they are a healthy food and are rich in potassium, vitamin C, iron, vitamin B6, magnesium, protein. My husband’s grandma always said to wait until the new moon to plant them. Here is a little bit from Mother Earth News on how to officially plant them

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/when-and-how-to-plant-potatoes.aspx

Potatoes can also be part of a diabetic meal plan also. The most common way that people in the United States eat potatoes is fried and in large portions or as a huge baked potato which may actually be four servings and topped with lots of butter and sour cream and even bacon and cheese! The portion and the toppings could the fact that the potato has such a bad reputation.

There are lots of great heirloom varieties of potatoes which include dark red norland, Swedish peanut fingerling, yukon gold, kennebec, red pontiac and all blue. These are available at Sow True Seeds here in Asheville.

http://sowtrueseed.com/potatoes/

Here is a spring recipe that you can make with greens and baby potatoes from a local farmer! Make them for breakfast! They also make a quick healthy meal for supper! I topped these with Greek yogurt and scallions. They remind me of sour cream potato chips!

Green Potato Pancakes

1 pound potatoes grated

10 ounces spring greens, washed well, sliced then, sauteed in olive oil with liquid squeezed out

2 tablespoon your choice of fresh herbs

1/4 cup flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon oil

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup onion, grated

1/4 cup grated hard cheese (preferably local)

Oil for pan frying

9 inch cast iron skillet

Mix all the ingredients together. Heat oil in the pan and add the batter at about 1/8  cup at a time. Let brown and flip. Let get brown on the other side. Drain well on paper towels.

Makes 8-10 pancakes at 2 per person to make 4-5 servings.

This makes an easy vegetarian recipe which you can also make with sweet potatoes. If you would like more seasonal meals for spring sign up for my newsletter! Please also feel free to share this recipe with your friends on face book, pinterest, twitter and would love for you to send a comment on the blog!

Denise