86-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 24,2001 Potatoes For Every Occasion Whether it’s a new recipe or an old standby, potato dishes offer incredible taste. While some people don’t like broccoli or cabbage, I’ve never heard of anyone not liking pota toes. It is reported that archeologoi cal evidence indicates that 4,500 years ago, Peruvians had devel oped several techniques to im prove and store potatoes, includ ing processing flour using a freeze-dried method, which is evidence that potatoes have been a staple for centuries. Today, 14,000 acres of Penn sylvania farmland is dedicated to growing potatoes, a $22.8 million business for farmers. Thomas Jefferson is credited with starting America’s love af fair with French fries, when he introduced “pomme frites” at a White House dinner. According to Barbara Skelly of Harrisburg’s Broad Street Mar ket, you can keep potatoes sprout and wrinkle-free for about two months by placing an apple in a bag of potatoes. Skelly also said that potatoes are natural stain removers. Let the stain dry, rub a freshly cut potato over stain a few minutes, and wash as usual. An 8-ounce baked or boiled potato has only 100 calories. But if you’re like most people, you won’t settle for a plain one when incorporating cheese, sour cream, butter, and numerous other ingredients enhance pota to’s natural goodness. Rhonda Mast, Morgantown, writes that she is proud to be a potato farmer’s wife and happy to see requests for potato recipes in this paper. Whenever the Mast family is invited to a covered dish event, she is asked to bring a potato dish. She sent in several of her favorites that readers are sure to enjoy. So, celebrate National Potato Month by eating potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. GOURMET POTATOES 6-10 large potatoes 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 'A cup butter 'A cup chopped onion (option al) 11/’I 1 /’ cups sour cream 1 teaspoon salt A teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons butter for top Recipe Topics If you have recipes for topics listed below, please share them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that you include ac curate measurements, a complete list of ingredients, and clear instructions with each recipe you submit. Be sure to include your name and address. Recipes should reach our office one week before the publishing date listed below. Send your recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522. March 3 Peanuts, Almonds, and Other Nuts 10 Using mint in cooking 17 St. Patrick’s Day Celebration 24 Crockpot Ideas Paprika Peel potatoes, cut in quarters, cook until soft. Cool completely (overnight in refrigerator works well). Shred coarsely. In saucepan over low heat, cook onion and butter 5-8 min utes. Do not brown. Add cheese, stir until almost melted. Remove from heat. Blend in sour cream, salt and pepper. Fold in potatoes. Put potato mixture in greased 9x13-inch casserole; dot with butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. If desired, crumble 8-10 strips cooked bacon with potato mix ture. Rhonda Mast Morgantown STUFFED BAKED POTATOES 4 large baking potatoes 'A cup butter, softened '/> teaspoon salt I'A teaspoons garlic powder Milk 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 tablespoons minced parsley 1 cup cheddar cheese Paprika Bake potatoes, cut in halves, and take out inside of potato (leaving skins for shells). Mash potatoes; add butter, salt, garlic powder, and milk (enough to moisten properly). Beat until smooth. Add cream cheese, onion, and parsley. Mix together well. Fill potato shells with potato mixture. Top with shredded cheese and paprika. Place in greased 9x13-inch bak ing dish. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight they will bake better. Bake at 4SO degrees for 25 minutes. Note: You may add l-l'/i cups cooked broccoli or 8 strips cook ed, crumbled bacon into potato mixture. Rhonda Mast Morgantown GERMANY POTATO SALAD 10'/i-ounce Can condensed chicken broth 'A cup minced onion 'A cup wine vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon mustard Salt and pepper, to taste 5 cups potatoes, cooked, cubed 1 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Combine all ingredients except potatoes, sour cream and parsley in skillet. Add potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 25 min utes or until done, let stand 30 minutes. Blend sour cream and parsley in a boil. Toss with pota toes. OXTAIL SOUP HUNGARIAN STYLE 3-4 pounds oxtails 8 cups water Salt and pepper to taste 1 medium onion, sliced 1 bay leaf 8 medium potatoes, peeled, diced 3 large carrots, sliced 16-ounce can tomatoes Brown meat slowly on all sides in a Dutch oven. Add water, salt, pepper, onions, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer over low heat two hours or until meat is tender. Add all vegetables to soup. Sim mer until tender, about 30 min utes. QUICKI CHEESED SKILLET POTATOES 1 pound package frozen French fried potatoes 'A cup Italian salad dressing 1 teaspoon instant or fresh on (Turn to Page B 7) Nancy Wiker holds a bread bowl filled with Bob’s Baked Potato Soup. Featured Recipe One of Nancy Wiker’s husband’s favorite soups is his moth er’s homemade potato soup. Her husband Bob likes the soup thick with chunks of baked potato and bits of potato skins. Wiker adapted the recipe a bit and serves it in a bread bowl, garnished with paprika and crumbled bacon. Dubbed Bob’s Potato Soup in honor of her husband, Wiker made the family favorite and served it at a recent workshop she taught on “sensational soups.” Betty Biehl Mertztown Bob’s Potato Soup was a big hit and one you will want to try. BOB’S BAKED POTATO SOUP 2 large baking potatoes 4 tablespoons butter 2 green onions, chopped 4 tablespoons flour 1 cup chicken stock 2 cups milk Vi cup sour cream 4 slices bacon, crumbled 3 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated Additional milk Salt and pepper Paprika Heat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and scrub potatoes. Bake until fork tender. Split the potatoes in half, scoop out the meat. Mash about half the potato with a fork. Chop the rest, set aside. Chop the skins. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, saute onions over medium heat, blend in flour. Betty Biehl Mertztown With a wire whisk, add chicken stock. Blend in milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken. While the milk mixture is hot, whisk in the potatoes and skins. Add sour cream and most of the crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly, but do not allow to boil. Add the cheese a little at a time until it is all blended in. Thin with a little additional milk if desired. Serve in a bread bowl, garnish with paprika and remaining crumbled bacon.
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