A work by Vachel Lindsay, an early 20th-century American singing poet, makes potatoes the life of the party.
“Potatoes were the waiters,
Potatoes were the band,
Potatoes were the dancers
Kicking up the sand…”
The 2019 Maine potato crop was valued at $184 million. While many Maine taters make their way into bags of Lay’s potato chips and McCain French fries, there are still plenty of Kennebecs, Katahdins, and Caribou Russets to be had by Mainers who like to cook. The Maine Potato Board is expecting the dry growing season to have taken its toll on the 2020 crop. Seeking out local potatoes now, therefore, will help farmers seed next year’s crop.
We happily dive into weeknight pots of mashed potatoes and eat plenty of fries with burgers, no doubt. With the recipes here, though, we take Lindsay’s advice to heart and suggest you bring Maine potatoes to the party. Any party.
A pavé is a stack of scallop potatoes made sexy by Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in northern California. This mostly make-ahead terrine is sliced and seared just before being served with filet mignon on Christmas Eve or smoked salmon on New Year’s Day.
Hasselback sweet potatoes can be dressed up or down for any occasion, especially if you hit a farmers’ market and find both orange Covingtons and purple Murasakis. These semi-sliced, butter-drizzled baked potatoes would be as comfortable with your holiday ham as they would its leftovers.
And, finally, twice-baked potatoes are as homey as you can get. Make a batch tailored to your taste (or what’s in your refrigerator) to pop in the oven when your COVID pod stops back to yours after cross-country skiing.
Here we provide master recipes and suggested variations to help you celebrate any wintery occasion.
