One Potato, Two Potato...

The humble and often taken for granted potato....most of us don'teven wonder about the part potatoes have played in history. It is too easy to think of the spud as an unattractive tuber. But let's face it, without potatoes we would have anything to twice bake, or scallop, or mash, bake, or....okay, that's an overstatement.  But the truth of the matter is that the potato not only makes great fries, it really heralded in the beginning of the what we would consider modern agriculture.  And no, we are not overstating there.

Coming in fourth just behind rice, wheat and maize (corn), potatoes rank as a major world crop.  It quietly grows in all areas of the world, but it was the Spanish is 1536 that came across them in Peru.  Spain invaded Peru looking for gold.  What they found instead was potatoes.  After conquering that country, the potato founds it's way to Europe.  And before the end of the 16th century Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland.  It took four decades for the potato to find it's way over the rest of Europe.  Over time it became evident that growing potatoes was easier than other staple crops, like wheat and oats.  But beyond that, and even more importantly, the nutritional value of potatoes was unmatched. Also notable is the fact that each acre of cultivated land could feed 10 people.

Legend has it that Raleigh made a gift of potato plants to Queen Elizabeth I.  Unfortunately, the cooks of the time did not know what to do with the plants or the potatoes.  So they threw out the tubors and cooked up the leaves and stems.  That was a problem because potato plants fall into the nightshade group.  When the Queen's guests ate the plants they became deathly ill.  From that day, potatoes were band from court and the cook was fired.  

The heroic potato was not to be denied it's place.  They came to North America in 1621, when two large chests containing potatoes and other vegetables were sent to the Governor of Virginia at Jamestown.  From there the first potato patches were established in 1719.  We can thank the Scotch-Irish immigrants for the potato becoming a staple crop and eventually altering agriculture as it was known.  

While Idaho is the largest producer of potatoes in the US, it wasn't until 1836 that missionaries moved west in an effort to teach native tribes to grow crops instead of relying on hunting and gathering.  In 1872, the Russet Burbank variety of potato was developed and Idaho flourished as the potato state.

Back in Europe in the 1800's the Irish working class lived largely dependent on potatoes. When the potato famine hit in the 1840's, many families where poverty-stricken and were forced to immigrate out of Ireland.  The famine meant the death of one million people who died of starvation or decease.  Another one million people left Ireland for Canada or the US. Even today, Ireland has not recovered it's population due to the potato famine.  It was a devastating event in that countries history.  

Over time, the blight of the potato plants was contained and remedied.  And today, potatoes have a notable and important place in our culinary experience.  In case you were wondering just how big a place that is, here are some statistics about potatoes grown around the world.  (Remember, a metric ton is 2204.62 lbs)

Top Potato Producers in 2011
(million metric tons)
People's Republic of China	88.4
India	42.3
Russia	32.7
Ukraine	24.2
United States	19.4
Germany	11.8
Bangladesh	8.3
Poland	8.2
France	8.0
Belarus	7.7
World Total	374.4

And if you need still more persuasion of the power of the spud, then here's some nutritional facts.  In one medium sized potato, with skin, there is:

• Potassium, 620 milligrams or 18% of the recommended daily value (DV).  Potatoes rank highest for potassium of the 20 most frequently consumed foods.
• Vitamin C, 45% of DV, which out ranks tomatoes and sweet potatoes.
• Fiber, 2 grams or 8T of the DV per serving.
• B6, 10% of the DV per serving.
• Iron, 6% of DV.  

Now, if you still don't believe in the importance of the potato in our culture, then I give Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.  These two are an icon for children and adults, alike.  And in case you are not up on your Mr. Potato Head history, The Mr. Potato Head doll was born in 1952. Does anyone remember the original toy?  It had parts that you stuck right on a real potato!

The original Mr. Potato Head

In 1953, Mrs. Potato head was introduced.  And According to Playskool, Inc., the two honeymooned in Boise, Idaho and have 12 children. In 1987, Mr. Potato Head gave up his pipe to set a good example for children.

And, finally, as our last bit of proof that potatoes matter in the food supply, you should know that Americans consume about 140 pounds of potatoes per person per year!  If you are impressed with that, you'll be interested in knowing that Europeans beat that by about twice as much!!

So whether you are french frying them, mashing them, baking them with a dollop of sour cream, scalloping them, au gratening them, serving them boiled with butter and salt and pepper, the potato holds its value as a commodity known around the world and is an easy dish to present to everyone.

Today we offer you a slow cooker version of Hasselback potatoes.  These potatoes are great for the busy family who can set up the slow cooker and come home to a great potato dish.

Nicki's Hasselback Potatoes in the Crockpot!

What you need:

3 large potatoes
Olive Oil
3 cloves a garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons Butter
4 slices of Bacon diced and fried
1 cup shredded cheese
Salt and Pepper

What you need to do:

Scrub your potatoes very well.  Take two chop sticks and place a potato between them.  Cut your potato in 1/4 inch slices without slicing all the way through.  See below:

Line aluminum foil inside your slow cooker and place your sliced potatoes inside.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil.  See below:

Set your slow cooker on high and leave it for four hours.  In the meantime, melt butter and add minced garlic.  Saute garlic in butter for a few minutes.  When you can pierce the potato with a knife easily, turn the slow cooker on low.  Pour the garlic butter over the potatoes, along with the bacon and shredded cheese.  Allow to cook for another 30 minutes.

If you want a crispy Hasselback potato, place the potatoes in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, turn the oven off and sprinkle your potatoes with the garlic butter, bacon and cheese.  Put back in oven for 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Time to enjoy!!!

There are countless recipes for potatoes and you don't have to look very far to find them.  Here's just one of many sites that might be helpful.

Now go out and make something good!!