is for potatoes
Yesterday I was looking for a favorite shredded sweet potato crust recipe, which I never did find. But when I turned to Google for help, I discovered February is National Potato Month and what better way to celebrate than devote the P entry in my love letter abecedarium to our fine friends the spuds.
Dear Potato –
It’s pretty easy to love you. Of course you taste good, but I don’t confine my love to the endless ways to enjoy your gastronomical delights. Seriously – you’re a TUBER – a bit of underground plant magic! You are the world’s fourth-largest food crop, with more than 4000 varieties, an excellent source of nutrition, and you come in a rainbow of colors, including purple and blue. What’s not to love about that? You’re easy to anthropomorphize and I have a great fondness for the vintage illustrations of you. You’re a reminder to stay grounded; own my own earthiness and rootedness; you’re one of my favorite root chakra foods; and the means by which to create wonderful organic potato print stamped art; and you’ve inspired countless cooks and artists. And you apparently help decide if relationships should continue on or be called off, depending on the pronunciation of your name. There’s so much to delight in about you, and I’m glad you get a whole month of devoted celebration, even if I think it’s likely the Potato Growers Association had some self-serving ambitions in mind when they created it. Doesn’t matter, I’d love you anyway.
Deborah
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This morning during my Monday intention setting group, a friend invoked the use of liberal use of “giggle bombs” during the week. In keeping with the encouragement, let’s poke around the potato patch and see what we can find.
I love this vintage seed packet illustration.
Potatoes may not have ears, but you do, so let’s head over to YouTube:
- potato song
- Potatotron – Brave Potato
- Original commercial clip for Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head. The you-supply-the-real-potato version, which to my mind is the only REAL deal.
This may be one of my favorite Story People tales from Brian Andreas. Archangel Michael and his flaming potato peeler sword.
I’m in love with this design of this vintage French poster from WWI urging economizing. Don’t eat so much bread, eat potatoes instead.
And with that admonition, let’s turn our attention to food and art.
- I never did find the recipe I was looking for yesterday, but I ended up making this one, and it gets a thumbs up. Mushroom and Spinach Quiche in Shredded Potato Crust
- You may be familiar with Van Gogh’s rather famous The Potato Eaters, but did you know Miro did a piece called The Potato?
Here are some more modern artists creations:
- Potato Art people!
- potato flower
- Jeffey Allen Price – Think Potato Institute
So there you have it, my mash up of potato love. What about you? Have a tuber tale to tell? Spud art to share? A favorite recipe? What have you been keeping your eyes peeled for? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
Have you tried Potato Bread Deborah? It is always part of a traditional Irish fry …. but it was a treat when we were kids …. equal parts of plain flour and left over mashed potatoes, salt and pepper and maybe a tiny bit of milk if it’s too dry …. and then roll it out into a round the size of your frying pan and fry it on a dry pan – no oil – cut into triangles and eat warm with lashings of butter !!!! My mother used to make it for tea some evenings when we were children – absolutely scrumptious lol Potatoes are the national treasure of Ireland and of course have caused the terrible history we have that led to so many Irish leaving for America – the potato famine (s) in the mid 1800s, and in spite of that it’s still the staple food. Also check out champ and boxtie.
OK I’d better go and get some supper!!
Fil x
Oh goodness Fil – now that you’ve opened this new door for me, I see I’ll have to head out to the store and get more potatoes!
Ooooo, so much good stuff here. Love all of the potato art, especially the potato people. I love rosti-style potatoes – I posted the “recipe” I use here: http://sarahbroadfoot.weebly.com/1/post/2014/01/rosti-recipe.html
Oh yum Sarah – I’m definitely making this rosti-potatoes today!
Oh, the lowly potato. We DO love you! I had no idea it had inspired such artistic plentitude, but hardly surprised. For an ugly little thing, it sure is lovable.
I especially loved that it is a root chakra food. I did not know that but it explains its presence in much “comfort food”.
LOL – loveable indeed!
Hi Deborah, did you receive my email that you are the winner of my GYB giveaway?
Hi Patty – no I didn’t receive your email. So thank you so much for dropping by and letting me know I’m the lucky winner! I’ll pop off an email to you.