Well a few weeks ago EJ wrote her "I don't mean to brag" thread, making me all green with envy. http://www.gardenstew.com/about22373.html She is so far ahead of me and only a short 40 minute flight away, just across the channel. I went out right away after reading that she was harvesting spuds to check and see how mine were doing. Well at that time they weren't doing much, they were still quite small, so I let them sit. Now I have harvested a few from each sort of spud that I am growing this year, except for the Charlottes. I don't disturb them because I shall leave them in the ground till the very last. Those will be the spud type that I will save and eat from until next spring. Now I am just lifting a plant every time that I need some spuds for a meal. I can usually eat three meals from each plant. To begin with, an overview of the potato patch. There are spots of open ground to be seen, and those places are the locations where I have lifted plants to harvest. There is a strict rule about potato rotation in out gardening club and this year the spuds must be planted in the center 1/3 of my production garden. Well, I just wanted to show the ones that I am growing this year and perhaps ole EJ has about run out of spuds now and can 'enjoy' seeing what I have begun harvesting. chuckle. Next, I want to show a half-in-half-out pic of the potato type known as International Kidney. It is thanks to EJ that I found and grow this. I believe that it is my favourite type at the moment. What you see are about 3/4 of the harvest--there are always quite a few that stay behind in the ground. Next, is the Linzer Delicatesse. I unbelieveably 'creamy' potato, and the one I sampled first once I got them home. There were quite a few that broke off and stayed in the ground. Once home, these Linzers were immediately steamed and then set aside to cool a bit as the salas was made. The potato sampling was done very spartan-like so that I could get the real taste of them.-- They were placed on the plate and there was a small bowl of melted butter adjacent to the plate. The idea was to take a piece of the potato and dunk it in the melted butter. Dear me---How delicious was that! Of course I could have added the usual herbs, but as I said--I wanted to see what the flavour was without being led astray by the herbs' taste. Well they were delicious and very creamy. The consistance was stiffish (not crumbly) and got the highest marks. The salad with pine nuts, feta chese and olive oil with parsley was good, but I ate it at the end of the tasting. I say "tasting", but I actually made a meal of the potatos. You know, at that moment, I would have said that those first Linzers were just as good as the Internatinal Kidneys, but now that I have had time to recover from that first enfatuous tasting of the season, I can be more realistic and say that while the Linzers are pretty darn good, I still find the International kidneys better. Tonight I will taste the new kind that I tried this year--Kerkauer Kipfler, an interesting spud originating in Austria/Czech Republic and now wide-spread in Germany. It is in the same form as the Ratte's. What will they taste like, I wonder. So, I like trying new types of potatos each year...especially the so-called "gourmet" -type . If you have any suggestions, do let me know.
Those are good looking spuds Sjoerd! I tried growing them here, but they just didn't do well at all. I think another year when I have more time I will try to amend the soil and try again. Now I'm craving potatoes and butter! Yum!
Those look marvelous... and sounds so scrumptious! Guess what I'm going to have with dinner tonight? :-D
Yikes your garden puts my to shame. What a wonderful crop of potatoes. Sounds yummy to me. I can't wait to see how my small patch is producing. Your yellowish looking potatoes look a lot like Klondike Gold. They have a slight buttery flavor so you don't need a much on them. Have you ever tried a potato named "All Blue". The skin as well as the flesh are purple in color. Even when you cook them up they stay a light purple color. Kind of weird to eat because of the color. But they are a really good tasting potato. Pass that melted butter. I can make a meal of just potatoes. I love them.
It looks as though you're going to have a bumper crop this year Sjoerd. They certainly look very tasty. :-D
Hi Sjoerd, you have a nice selection of spuds there,..i would love to be test sampling with the butter,..country butter,slightly salted!,..at present i am in to "Premiere" Potato's,..again very tasty. I used to love trying out various species,..i envy you.
Thank you, NETTY--I was so disappointed to hear that you don't have luck with growing spuds. We ought to talk about that sometime before next year if you decide to try again. Hahaha...KK-- you are a funny fellow. What a pity that you can't grow them there. Thanks CHERYL-- I have been really gorging myself lately, as I can eat them with the thin, film-like skins on. I hope that you enjoyed your potatos this evening. Good luck at the Farmers' Market, JEWELL. Thanks a mil, TOOTY-- Yes, I know the Klondike Gold. I have not tried the "All Blues" yet, but I know of their existence. Having a meal consisting out of just potatos is something that I relish and do periodically. Yes EILEEN-- I am pleased so far. I didn't know what to expect with the late start this spring with that protracted dry spell, but now, after seeing this--I am optimistic. Thank you, PHILIP--mmmm Country butter, slightly salted. I get that from a farmer I know over in the village of Sijbekarspel. It may not be very healthy, but boy, oh boy is it good. BTW--what types of "Premiere" Potato's are you currently trying?
That is a Big potato patch Sjoerd. Potatoes can be prepared just so many ways then you may have to repeat a recipe. Next year you rotate crops? Jerry
Hi Sjoerd, its getting harder to find home made butter,..that golden yellow colour,..i used to go on my summer holidays to relatives who had a farm,..one job they gave me was to make butter,..it certainly made my arms tired,.."Dash Churning". The picture below is of our "Premiere" potato,..given to me by a friend,..its very hard to get!,..orders for seeds run out very fast,.. being such a good grower and with a good disease free record,..Premiere potatoes are oval to round in shape with shallow eyes. Introduced in 1979 Premiere is popular due to its great all round disease resistance to Blight, Common Scab, Powdery Scab, Spraing and it is resistant to Potato Cyst Nematode. Premiere tubers are yellow skinned and the flesh is also yellow and tasty. A high yielding variety. Harvested this week. ( photo / image / picture from Philip Nulty's Garden )
It is a biggish patch, JERRY, ~33²m. Yes, I will be rotation my spuds next year (and all of my other crops--I do that every year). Those are nice-looking potatos, PHILIP. They have important qualities for here. I might look into those for next year. Thanks GAIL-- You are 100% correct about that!
Great potatoes Sjoerd, our climate is too humid for much potatoe growing in my area but I can report on the kiphlers, my absolute favorite, they are also called dutch fir apple here, I dont know why though.They hold together very well for cold dishes like potato salad etc. they cost more than the regular type but worth the extra, I will await your judgement next crop around.
