Papas!

Everyone loves potatoes! Even the pickiest of eaters will still eat a french fry. They are super easy to cook with and hard to mess up. Growing (and harvesting) them is also a simple pleasure.

Seed Potatoes and Prep
Potatoes are tubers, meaning they grow underground from the roots of the plant, and mature as the tops of the plant mature. Have you ever stored a potato for too long and noticed sprouts growing? You are witnessing the beginning growth stages of the potato plant.

To grow potatoes, you plant a certified "seed potato". You want to buy these from a garden supply store to ensure a disease-free crop, not from the grocery store, where potatoes are often treated with growth inhibitors and other chemicals to store longer.

Potatoes enjoy cooler spring-time weather, but don't like freezes, so here in Central Texas we have a short growing season. All this means for us is that we should plant "early" varieties...ones that mature faster. Any nursery you go to will likely carry Yukon Golds, Pontiacs, Red La Sodas, or Kennebecs, all of which will grow fine. This year, I got mine from Natural Gardener, which is quite the drive for San Martians. King Feed in Wimberley also has them. Get them now (this week) and you will be right on time!

Potatoes do take a very small amount of planning ahead, so get them as soon as possible. When you get your potatoes, they may already be sprouting, which is fine. Some gardeners prefer this "head start". Just handle with extra care to make you don't damage these sprouts. A few days before you plant, you want to cut your potatoes into golf ball sized pieces. Aim for two eyes on each piece. Small potatoes can be left as is. Leave them out on the counter to cure. The potato flesh will get kind of purplish and feel like a callous...which is normal. After 5-10 days, they should look something like this:

NOTE: Some say that potato pieces should be dusted with sulfur before curing, to prevent rot once planted. I've never done this. If rot is the only thing it prevents, just don't plant in wet soil, and don't plant them somewhere with crappy drainage. Try the sulfur method if you want, but if you prefer to go the cheaper route and skip that step, I think you'll be just fine.

Get 'R Dug! (and planted, and tended)
Hopefully you have already prepared a bed for them. If not, this is something you can do while you are waiting for them to cure. They aren't picky plants or heavy feeders, but they do need some compost love, so if you haven't added compost in a year or so, make sure to do this. If you are behind, don't fret too much, but you do want to aim at getting your potatoes in the ground by March.

Plant each potato piece, sprouting eyes up, 4-6 inches deep and about 12 inches apart. Different gardening resources will give you slightly different planting depths/spacing. Some say 6-8 inches deep, and 10-12 inches apart. Don't fret too much over this. You will still get your taters.

Don't get discouraged if it takes a little while for the shoots to emerge. Last year mine took three weeks. The new vegetation can be easily damaged by a hard freeze, so if we get some bitter temperatures after planting, make sure you protect them.

The coolest thing about potatoes is that they grow above the seed piece you planted. Some gardeners will continue to pile dirt on top of the plants as they grow, to increase production. I just cover them with a thick layer of mulch. It keeps them cooler and it's easier since I always have hay on hand. Plus there is some debate as to whether or not this is a beneficial practice for such a short season. Definitely mulch though.

I'm Hungry! When Can I Eat Them?!
Patience. While technically you can eat them anytime you feel they are big enough, it might be worth the wait to get larger potatoes. However, with any root crop, I get really antsy and just HAVE to dig a little and feel around. That suspense is the beauty of root crops...just be careful not to damage any roots/tubers when you do this.

Basically, you know they are ready when the tops start to turn yellow and die, because obviously they won't be growing anymore. Carefully dig them up. Set them outside, somewhere in the shade, or a shed that gets adequate airflow. A shady balcony would be good, if you live in an apartment. Let them sit for a few days to toughen up. If there any soft, shriveled ones, throw them out. Now they are ready to be scrubbed, cooked, eaten, sold, or given away to friends!

I don't need to include cooking ideas here, but once I get my harvest and am forced to come up with creative uses for potatoes, I'll throw some new ideas your way. In the meantime, enjoy getting dirty!

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Truffle Oil

This one is for Erin! I started this blog to share recipes with friends at work, and this one was in high demand. :)

But first, let's talk about a truffle oil!

It's the main flavor to this dish and pretty much any dish you add it to. It has a reputation for being an expensive ingredient, but you only need a small amount every time you use it, so it lasts forever.

So what is a truffle?! Well, it's a mushroom. It has been prized for centuries in almost any European cuisine. They are most often found by hunters using pigs or dogs to sniff them out. Both white and black truffles are used for culinary excellence. The difference, as far as I understand, is only based on where in Europe the specimen is found. Supposedly, blacks are less pungent than whites. They are all delicious. There is talk that truffle oil is only olive oil artificially flavored with truffle flavoring. Regardless, it's damn good and irreplaceable.

It is worth the trip to Central Market or some specialty grocery store to buy a bottle, but you can also buy it online. It will last you forever and you will never be able to match it to anything else you have ever tasted!

Besides using it in this recipe, you can try it with:

• Mashed potatoes: make your favorite mashed potato recipe and add a few drops of truffle oil at the end. Top with grated Parmesan.
• Steak: marinate a ribeye wtih balsamic vinegar and rosemary. Cook medium rare and top with a few drops of truffle oil.
• Pasta: add a drizzle to a cream-based pasta sauce. Toss pasta with a few sauted mushrooms and the cream sauce. Add a sprinkle of parmesan.

Other things I have added it to are polenta, couscous, and veggies such as turnips and radishes.


This recipe is a basic guideline for using it with roasted veggies and can easily be changed, depending on what you have on hand. Enjoy :)

• 2 quarts of winter veggies, such as Brussels sprouts, turnips, and radishes (the combination of these three veggies are my favorite...use them if you can!)
• 10-ish white mushrooms, though creminis or shiitakes would be even better
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 head of garlic
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tbl salt
• 1 tbl pepper
• 1 tbl rosemary, chopped (can substitute thyme, tarragon, or oregano if you don't have rosemary).
• Truffle oil, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Chop winter veggies, mushrooms, and onion into 1-inch pieces and place into a large bowl. (As you halve the Brussels sprouts, the outer leaves may fall off. Keep 'em! They get crispy and delicious in the oven.)

3. Separate head of garlic into individual cloves. Lightly crush cloves so that they peel easily. Add to bowl with the chopped veggies.

4. Add oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Toss to combine.

5. Using two baking sheets, lay out veggies so that they fill the pan, but are not overcrowded. Definitely no more crowded than this:

6. Bake for 15 minutes, then toss them around to promote even browning. Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes. Drizzle truffle oil, and toss. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese, or not.

Variations:
While the Brussels sprout-turnip-radish trio is wonderful, you can easily make this recipe with just one kind of veggie.
Maybe truffle oil isn't a big hit in your family. While it drastically changes the dish, you can omit it and just drizzle the finished product with a little more balsamic vinegar and olive oil to keep it simple.

Cabbage and Sausage with Mustard Sauce

I love this recipe! Not only is it delicious, but it was one of those last minute creations where I found myself rummaging through refridgerator drawers, the freezer, pantry, and spice cabinet one evening, in search of something that I could just throw together without going to the grocery store. Because it was born in such a spastic way, it lends itself to alot of improvising and substitutions.

Vegetarian? Omit the sausage and just start at step #3.
You can make this an excellent side dish by using bacon instead of sausage.

• 1 package smoked sausage, quartered (my favorite is Andouille, but any kind will work)
• 1 small head of cabbage, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1 bunch of radishes (optional. you could also use carrots or turnips...depending on what you have on hand. I think radishes work best. Or you can just keep it simple and not add another vegetable, if you just want the cabbage.)
• Half an onion, halved, then sliced thinly
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup mustard (preferrably dijon. if you have some fancy gourmet mustard, more power to ya)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 cup chicken broth (or a lager beer!)
• Chopped fresh dill, optional
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat a large skillet on medium high (make sure the skillet has a lid...you will need it later!)

2. Add the sausage and render the fat until brown (about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally). Remove sausage with slotted spoon so that the fat remains in pan. Set the sausage aside for now.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Melt the butter.

4. Add onions, cook 3-4 minutes until soft.

5. Add garlic and caraway seeds, cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

6. Stir in mustard, sugar, and broth/beer until combined. Bring to a simmer on medium heat.

7. Add cabbage and radishes. Stir to combine. Cover and let simmer for ten minutes. Stir, then cover/simmer again for another 5-10 minutes until cabbage and radishes are tender. If you need a little more broth to keep simmering, add 1/4 or 1/3 cup more before covering it again.

Taste it now. Add salt and pepper to your liking. If you want a stronger mustard taste, add a little more! Do what you want. It's hard to mess up this dish!

Sprinkle with chopped dill and serve.