Patata, potato. Right here begins the unveiling of the differences that reside within America’s favorite veggie. But I’m not just talking about how the spuds’ given name rolls off your tongue. We all know which option most people would pick on that one. I’m not referring to whether french fries taste better in the deep fryer or the oven either. Or whether to go with sweets vs. yukons, or any other variety preferences.
When I say differences, I’m referring those within the straight up, standard whites. The differences between “new potatoes” vs. old. Come late spring/early summer, and it’s about the only time you’ll find me consistently eating the white spuds. Why? It’s the time for the first harvest of potatoes, known as “new potatoes,” AKA the best friggin’ potatoes you’ll eat all year.
New potatoes provide a flavor of their own, bringing a slightly sweet earthiness to the table. This is in comparison to plain old potatoes you can get any time of the year that instead act as a rather bland canvas, not generating much flavor except the skin that covers them. While this makes them a good candidate to be dressed up by any number of ingredients, I want to taste the potato too. And the best way to do that is to get your hands on the yields of the early harvests, which as I mentioned before, are referred to as “new potatoes.”
New potatoes are sent to the market directly after being dug. This means there’s not as much time for their sugars to be converted into starches = sweeter potato for you. Their skin also tends to be thinner and more tender, since it was given less time to develop. This too is good for you because the skin is where the majority of the fiber, vitamins and nutrients rest, meaning you should keep that colorful outer outfit on your potatoes when cooking!
While the recipe below keeps it simple, making it ideal for new potatoes, it will work on potatoes purchased at any time of the year. The dill acts to compliment the sweetness drawn out of the spuds from the olive oil. And the garlic will add a boost of flavor too. But if you can, test this one out now while potatoes are at their best!
Ingredients
- -1 lb. small new potatoes
- -6-8 garlic cloves, large cloves cut in half
- -2 Tbsp. olive oil
- -Fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste
- -Scant 1/4 cup dill, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven 400F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add potatoes and garlic to pan, and toss with olive oil. Grind salt and pepper on top. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove from oven and toss with dill. Serve.
13 Comments
Joanne
June 28, 2011 at 8:06 amI gotta admit, I’m not really the biggest potato eater either. But with a gloriously roasted crust like these have and that earthy dill flavor…I’m so in.
Laura
June 28, 2011 at 9:52 amHey! We’re both featured on the recipe tags page this morning 🙂 Your pictures pulled me in. That roasted potato crust really does look amazing! I like your blog, seems like we both love our veggies. I’ll be perusing your recipes. Cheers
Grace Dickinson
June 28, 2011 at 3:18 pmWelcome!
katieatthekitchendoor
June 28, 2011 at 10:40 amYour photos on this are stunning! So crisp.
TasteFood
June 28, 2011 at 12:45 pmBeautiful potatoes! I love dill with potatoes – very Scandinavian.
Roz@weightingfor50
June 28, 2011 at 3:07 pmHi Grace, I’m new to your blog and just want to say thanks for all the fantastic looking healthy recipes and photos! I’ve bookmarked and will be back!! Have a great day.
Grace Dickinson
June 28, 2011 at 3:19 pmThanks, and you too!
Aidan
June 28, 2011 at 3:59 pmOh, I’m totally picking up some potato’s at the farmers market this week. I’ve honestly never had “new potato’s” because I’m not much of a potato person. I think I might be converted! xD
Snippets of Thyme
June 28, 2011 at 5:53 pmThat is a beautiful potato dish. I am preparing something quite similar for the 4th. Gorgeous photo…came over from FG.
Hannah (BitterSweet)
July 1, 2011 at 8:08 amThat looks so delicious! I love potatoes but try to limit their appearances to special occasions, because I would eat them all the time instead of whole grains otherwise. I have tons of fresh dill growing in the garden, so this looks like the perfect use for some. 🙂
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lmd
December 16, 2013 at 2:42 pmTried this recipe, but tripled it for my very large family. Dill and garlic flavors were very nice, but tripling the oil was a real mistake! Next time I will increase the oil little-by-little only until all the potatoes have a reasonable gloss.