Potatoes are one of the most widely consumed vegetables, however not in their most healthy form…french fries. Not don’t get me wrong we all love a good french fry from time to time, but there are so many other tasty and healthy ways to enjoy your spuds.
Here at the farm we usually grow a big rainbow of potatoes. We’ve tried blue, purple (my favorites), fingerling, a knobby one called warba, and your traditional white and reds. We like growing mostly heirloom type potatoes since we think their flavor is far superior to hybrid ones. Potatoes are a relatively easy crop to grow, you plant them, keep them weed free, and then hill them as the plants get bigger to keep the potatoes in the dark. Our biggest problem with potatoes are potato beetles. They love to eat potato plants and will decimate an entire crop if left to munch. We aren’t a fan of any of the sprays (even the organic ones) so we pick them off by hand every few days…a task that I think Emmett will excel at this summer.
Flowering Potatoes
While potatoes are a starch and probably shouldn’t be consumed in large quantities, potatoes are low in fat and rich in micronutrients like vitamin C, you B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and folate.
Potatoes store best in a cool dark location away from onions. Wash only before you plan to use them. If there are any green parts peel or cut these away.
These are my go to french fries
These are on my list to make
Here’s a good potato salad recipe for upcoming barbecue season
Here at the Grange Farm School we recently planted 300 row feet of sweet potatoes! Hilled them up quite high, can’t wait to see how they turn out in our Mediterranean climate here in Mendocino County.