Homegrown: Potatoes
There’s nothing to beat harvesting first earlies
It’s time to start harvesting first early potatoes and nothing beats the excitement of finding the first few, like little golden eggs, in the earth. The first potatoes of the year are best steamed or boiled and eaten with butter and mint. Here are two simple and delicious potato recipes to do justice to your crop as the season progresses.
Potato pizza
A speciality of Rome, this easy pizza tastes fantastic. Serves 4 PIZZA BASE INGREDIENTS 300g (10½oz) strong white bread flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon quick yeast 1 tablespoon oil 210ml (7¼fl oz) water TOPPING INGREDIENTS 500g (17½oz) waxy new potatoes 5-6 tablespoons oil: ideally extra virgin olive oil 1½ teaspoons sea salt flakes 1 small onion, finely diced Freshly ground black pepper Handful of rosemary sprigs You’ll need a large, greased baking tray
METHOD
Combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a roomy bowl. Use fingertips of one hand to incorporate water and oil. Knead dough with both hands until smooth and silky. Leave to prove until virtually double in size. Turn onto a lightly floured board, knead briefly. Roll into a rectangle to fit tray. Leave on tray for 30 minutes or until beginning to puff up. Preheat oven to 220C (fan oven) or equivalent Wash and lightly scrub potatoes. Slice thinly: ideally with a mandoline on the thickest se ing or a food processor with slicer. Toss in 2 tablespoons oil. Brush whole surface of dough with 1-2 tablespoons oil. Spread half potato slices all over the pizza surface. Sca er over the onion, black pepper to taste and a teaspoon of salt flakes. Spread over remaining potatoes, final ½ teaspoon salt and more pepper and remaining oil. Sca er with the rosemary. Bake in a preheated oven at 220C (fan oven) for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 180C and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until potatoes are soft and tender and top layer golden. Remove spent rosemary and garnish with fresh.
Hot and cheesy potato wedges
These yummy wedges are hard to resist. For best results use mellow Red Leicester cheese: it works beautifully in terms of both flavour and colour. This makes a sharing plate for two.
METHOD
l
Scrub and dry 450-500g (15¾-17½oz) early potatoes, prick all over with a fork and
rub in a li le oil. Arrange on a grill rack on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender at 200C (fan oven) or equivalent. Cool slightly and quarter.
Sca er over 2 thinly sliced spring onions and Cajun seasoning to taste. Add 45-50g (1½-1¾oz) grated Red Leicester cheese, some thyme leaves stripped from the stalk and 3-4 pickled
green jalapenos cut in half. Reduce oven temperature to 180C and bake on a greased tray for a further 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately. Perfect with a cold beer!