Potatoes have our hearts this week

Boulder County Farmers Markets

What’s happening

The Boulder Wednesday market might be coming to a close tonight, but it’s good to note the closing days for our other markets still have a ways to go. Our Denver market at Union Station closes Oct. 24, and the Boulder and Longmont markets close the week before Thanksgiving — Nov. 21. Also, get registered below for the market’s curbside pickup newsletter, which is open through the end of the year for weekly orders. Local is possible during the winter months!

In season now

Get your fill of acorn squash, apples, basil, bell peppers, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, delicata squash, garlic, kale, lettuce, pears, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, leeks, spicy greens, Swiss chard, spaghetti squash, tomatoes and turnips.

Lots of this, please

Colorful, round, filling potatoes. There’s a reason why potato recipes are considered comfort foods, and we could all use a little bit of comfort these days.

The farmer says

Potatoes are a tried and true addition to any dish. Around this time farmers are finishing up supplies of new potatoes (waxy and harvested before maturity), and moving onto the cured (rough-skinned, mature and aged before market), storage potatoes. Both taste delightful, but cured potatoes are ready to last through the winter.

Varieties matter when it comes to preparing — so here’s a quick distinction to how to choose your

potatoes. Higher-starch potatoes, Russet or Yukon, lend themselves better to frying and baking, while lower-starch potatoes, red and small whites, are good for boiling or roasting.

Within their respective types — russet, fingerling, white, red, purple, and yellow — there are many more varieties to explore. For example: the Purple Viking or the Red Desiree. Ask your farmer about the unique characteristics that make each variety they grow special in their own right.

This week at the Boulder Farmers Market, we are expecting guest farmer Jones Organic Farm from the San Luiz Valley (an area in Colorado known for potato growing). They specialize in potatoes and will be featuring their small, tricolor potato medley.

How to prepare

Potatoes are delicious roasted, mashed, boiled or pureed into soup. The perfect side to your chicken, steak or pork, or let them take a leading role in a fall vegetable hash.

Goes with

Onions, apples, leeks,

garlic, beets, dill, rosemary, carrots, roasted chicken, turnips, bacon and eggs.

How to store

Don’t put your potatoes in the refrigerator. The colder temperature changes their shelf life and flavor. They are best stored in a well-vented container, and store in a dark and dry spot. If you can control the temperature to 45 to 55 degrees your potatoes can last up to 2 to 3 months depending on the variety and if they have been cured.