Potatoes, it’s hard to think of a kitchen without them, but of course our European ancestors were “spud” challenged until their introduction by the returning conquistadores who brought them back from the Andes sometime in the late 16th century.  Even after their introduction they were a long time catching on.  At first, Europeans tried to use them as “pot-herbs,” and being in the Nightshade family, the foliage is poisonous.  By the mid 19th century however it had become an important field crop.

Being an adamant native Californian, I should like to point out that the much lauded “Idaho” potato, did in fact have it’s origins in California, just a few miles from where I live here in Sonoma co.  Luther_Burbank, botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in the field of agricultural developed his “Burbank” potato at his experimental gardens in Santa Rosa,

California and the Idaho potato is a variety of Burbank’s creation.

In the first decade of the twenty first century the average person world wide consumed about 70 pounds of potatoes each year.  In the past the highest consumption in the world was in eastern Europe, however that is rapidly changing.  China is now the world’s largest potato producing country.

The following link Potatoes has an excellent chart about the various varieties of potato currently in cultivation and their uses.

Hopefully you will find some of the following recipes useful:

Potato Cakes

New Potatoes in Horseradish Cream Sauce

Eggs in Spuds

Potato Soup - Kilkenny

Champ - Tralee, County Kerry

Latkes

Potato & Apple Pancakes
Herb Roasted Red Potatoes

California Potato Salad

Cold German Potato Salad

Fresh Herb Potato Salad

Grilled Chicken Potato Salad

Old Fashion Potato Salad - American

Russian Potato Salad

South of the Border Potato Salad

Vegetable Garden Potato Salad

To Make Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Nutritional Facts:

1 large potato