Featured Vegetable this Week: NEW POTATOES

by Chef Caleb

We’re starting off our season of potatoes with the tender, delicious red-skinned potatoes we refer to as new potatoes. We’re excited to be able to cook with potatoes again, especially these flavorful new potatoes which are the freshest potatoes of the season!

Tomas unloads one of the first harvests of new potatoes for the season

We refer to the first potatoes of the season as new potatoes because they are harvested when they are still fairly young and the vines are still green. The potatoes that we will harvest in the near future will need to be stored longer. For these varieties, we will cut the vines a week ahead of harvest to set the skins so they are better for storage. Normally we recommend storing potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place and not in the refrigerator.  New potatoes are the exception to this rule though because of their tender, delicate skins. You can store new potatoes in the refrigerator in a paper bag for about a week. That being said, these new potatoes pack a lot of flavor, and to get the full affect, we recommend eating them within the first week of receiving the potatoes.

Since these potatoes have a thin red skin, and crisp, white, waxy flesh, they are best suited for boiling, roasting, pan-frying or steaming. They do not have the dry, mealy texture that successful baking or mashing requires. We grow a variety of potatoes that we’ll be delivering throughout the season.  Different varieties are better suited for different cooking methods, so check the “What’s In The Box” Section of the newsletter each week to learn about each type and the best way to use them.

Aloo Gobi-ish

Aloo gobi is a traditional vegetarian Indian dish featuring potatoes (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi) mixed with spices.This is an interpretation of this popular Indian dish that was created by Jeanine, the author of the Love and Lemons Blog (www.loveandlemons.com). Since this is her interpretation of the traditional dish, she chose to call it Aloo Gobi-ish.

Serves 2

2 Tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, medium diced

1 Tbsp mustard seeds

3 tsp curry powder

1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 cup potatoes, medium diced 

½ cup green or yellow beans, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (approximately 2 cups)

¼ cup water 

½ cup coconut milk

1 cup green curly kale or spinach, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

½ cup cilantro, chopped

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cayenne, few pinches (optional)

1 cup seared tofu or cooked chicken (optional)

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, a few pinches of salt and pepper,   and cook until translucent. Add the mustard seeds and curry powder and stir.

2. Add the garlic, ginger, potatoes, green beans and cauliflower along with another few pinches of salt. Stir, then let the vegetables cook for a few minutes without touching them.

3. Add water to the pan, partially cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and most of the liquid is gone. Stir occasionally while cooking.

4. Add the coconut milk, kale or spinach, and a squeeze of lime. If you are using tofu or chicken, add it now. Let everything simmer together, uncovered for another few minutes. Stir in cilantro and taste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.