Amish Potato Recipes
This time of the year, farmers and gardeners are planting their gardens and preparing their fields. A fairly easy vegetable to grow, in either large fields or small backyard plots, is the potato. This vegetable has been cultivated for centuries, starting with the Inca Indians in Peru around the year 200 B.C. The Spanish conquistadors took the potato from the New World back to Europe. Eventually the spud made its way to North America around the early 1600’s. The United States grows about 35 billion pounds of potatoes a year. This should be no surprise given the fact that each American eats over 16 pounds French fries a year, not to mention the baked, chipped, mashed and hashed forms.
Potatoes are a fairly cheap source of food. A medium potato will cost about twenty-five cents and has about 110 calories. It is high in Vitamin C as well weighing in at 45% of an adults daily vitamin C requirements. It’s a great source of potassium and fiber as well.
Potatoes can be planted early in the spring, when the soil temperature reaches 45 ° F and has dried. The spot should have full sun and the soil should be worked deep to allow room for the tubers to grow. Only certified seed potatoes should be used to ensure you have a disease free plant. The seed potatoes will have eyes (or sprouts) and are cut into 1 ½ inch or so chunks which will have one or (preferably) more eyes. These are then planted six inches into the soil every 15 inches apart. There are variations in planting spacing and with a little investigation you may find one more suitable for your garden.
Harvesting potatoes can begin two to three weeks after the plants have finished flowering. This will yield the small or new potatoes. Or they can be left until two or three weeks after the plant dies back in order to harvest larger potatoes. The harvested potatoes should be kept in a well-ventilated, dark, cool location.
The Amish are fond of the potato. No Amish garden is complete without a large potato plot to feed the family for the year. They have many delicious recipes to turn their potato harvest into tasty dishes. Here’s a great potato and cheese casserole sure to please any crowd.
Cheesy potatoes
6 large potatoes
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
¼ c. butter
1 ½ c. milk
1 ½ tsp. onion salt
2 tbsp. butter
Parmesan cheese
Paprika
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Peel and dice potatoes. Place potatoes into a two quart saucepan, fill with water and place over medium heat. Boil for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, drain and mash. Add butter and cheddar cheese, stirring until both melt. Add milk and fold into mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
Another great dish using potatoes is potato soup. Here’s an easy recipe for this hearty and filling dish.
Potato Soup
5 large potatoes
1 large carrot
1 medium onion
1 stalk celery
4 strips bacon
½ c. milk
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
Salt and pepper
Peel and cube potatoes. Peel carrot and grate. Dice celery and onion. Slice bacon into small bits. Place potatoes, carrot, celery, onion and bacon into a 2 quart saucepan, cover with water and place on stove over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove from heat and drain water, reserving 1 cup of the drained liquid. Place potatoes, etc. back into saucepan and mash. Add evaporated milk and milk and mix together. Return to heat and warm, but do not boil, the soup adding reserved liquid as needed to make a smooth soup.
A final potato recipe from the Amish is a fun one-Potato Candy!
Potato Candy
½ c. mashed potatoes
2 tsp. butter, softened
4 tbsp. cocoa powder
½ tsp. vanilla extract
4 ½ c. powdered sugar
2 c. flaked coconut
Pecan halves
Place potatoes, butter, cocoa and vanilla into a large bowl and mix. Gradually blend in powdered sugar and then add coconut. Knead this mixture until well mixed. Shape into 1 inch balls and press a pecan half into the center. Wrap candy in foil and store in an airtight container.
