Reveling in the Sweet Nostalgia of Potatoes
Mention a potato and people often begin reminiscing—about the mashed potatoes that Grandma used to make during the holidays or the hashed potatoes and eggs they made their children on chilly school mornings.
“Potatoes,” Chef Jamie Simpson of the Culinary Vegetable Institute says, “are classic, a cultural icon, an ingredient that can affect people emotionally and one that can be used in fun ways to trigger the nostalgia button.”
Plus, he notes, this vegetable meets the absolute highest standards of familiarity and versatility, a winning combination. “In The Chef’s Garden Book,” he says, “we place the potato on a pedestal for these reasons and more.”
How to Cook Potatoes
Mashed, baked, scalloped, gratin, hashed and more . . . potato soup, potato salad, potato casserole . . . the list is pretty endless. We include plenty of potato recipes on our site, including:
“You can cook potatoes in a different way yet use familiar ingredients,” Jamie shares, “and you’ll connect with people. If a potato recipe, for example, includes celery, onion, garlic, and mayo, then people will recognize its similarity to potato salad and respond well.”
(Speaking of potato salad, in parts of Asia, people thinly shave raw potatoes, wash them well to reduce starch, and use them as part of a salad. “So,” Jamie says, “this is literally potato salad.”)
Health Benefits of Potatoes
At The Chef’s Garden, we recently did a deep dive on the exceptionally versatile potato where we shared these health benefits:
- Digestive health
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Lowered risk of cancer
- Better blood pressure
- Supports nerve and muscle function
- May help with weight control
- Bone health
- Reducing inflammation
- Skin health
- Immunity boosts
Plus, independent testing has verified that crops that are regeneratively farmed at The Chef’s Garden have up to 500% more in mineral content when compared to the USDA baseline.
Cooking Sweet Potatoes
Steam, bake, roast . . . sweet potato fries and sweet potato pies. This is also a deliciously versatile vegetable and, at the CVI, they even juice sweet potatoes to make a refreshing beverage.
“Because sweet potatoes are full of moisture,” Jamie shares, “people often use a batter when making fries with them. This prevents them from getting soggy. You can also shave them thinly and cook them slowly to make delicious sweet potato chips.”
Plus, if Jamie is grilling, blackening, or smoking meats at a high heat, he loves to add in sweet potatoes.
Sweet potato recipes on our site include these and more:
- Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Tahini Bowls
- Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin with BliS Gourmet
- Seared Brussels Sprout Hash with Sweet Potatoes
Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
In The Chef’s Garden post, we noted these:
- Highly nutritious
- Promotes gut health
- May help to prevent cancer
- Supports healthy vision
- Enhances brain function
- Helps immune systems
Delicious and nutritious!
Order Your Regeneratively Farmed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Flavorfully nutritious, when you order mixed potatoes and/or mixed sweet potatoes, you can count on the best of the day’s harvest, conveniently delivered to your front door.
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