Smash Those Spuds!

Ah, the potato. A member of the same family as the tomato and the eggplant, the potato has been cultivated for centuries. Did you know that the potato wasn't introduced to Ireland until the 16th century? Prior to that, it was widely believed to be poisonous. We have a variety of different types of potatoes available at the Puget Sound farmers markets, but by far, my favorites are the blues and the Yukon golds. Blue potatoes can actually be blue, purple, black, or any range of color in between.

I buy almost all of my potatoes from Olsen's at the Ballard and University District farmers markets. They always have at least five of six different varieties of potatoes as well as beef jerkey and frozen meats. One of my favorite purchase from them are their little baby potatoes called Spud Nuts. About the size of a large marble or medium gumball, these little guys are perfect for throwing whole in a roasting pan. If I want just a little more involved of a recipe though, I'll go for today's offering: Smashed potatoes. I first came across this recipe on Roots and Grubs.

Smashed Potatoes from Roots and Grubs

Serves 2

• 8-10 small potatoes
• Olive oil
• Sea Salt

 

1. Boil the potatoes whole until just barely fork tender. You can do this up to 1 day ahead of time.
2. Cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 425.
4. Drizzle some olive oil on a baking pan.
5. Place a potato on the pan and with either the heel of your hand or a small bowl or spoon, smash the potato flat. Repeat for all potatoes.
6. Drizzle some olive oil over the smashed potatoes.
7. Sprinkle the potatoes with sea salt.
8. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping them at 20 minutes.
9. Serve.

 

Patricia's Notes: Every time I've made this recipe for people, they are impressed. I suppose I shouldn't tell them it is so simple. The potatoes crisp up nicely and taste fried, even though you've only just drizzled them with a little bit of olive oil. I prefer them plain, with just sea salt, but you could easily sprinkle on some paprika, Bacon Salt, minced garlic mixed with olive oil, or cracked pepper. You don't have to let the potatoes cool between boiling and baking, but I've found that it makes for slightly more even cooking.

Topics: Vegetables