Monday, September 11, 2017

If I Can't Have Orange Sweet Peas, I'll Take Orange Potatoes!

Chronica Domus
Prince of Orange potatoes aglow in September's golden light
Photo: Chronica Domus


You might recall my recent post describing my fruitless attempts at growing orange colored sweet peas, found here, and how the variety called Prince of Orange turned out to be nothing more than a very pretty shade of pink.  Well, last Saturday morning while trolling the groaning farmers' market stands stocked with late-summer produce, I noticed a different Prince of Orange.  Wait a minute! Did I really just clap eyes upon an orange-hued potato?  Indeed I did, and here's the proof:

Chronica Domus
I was delighted to unload my market basket with the spoils of the morning, including this brown paper bag, overflowing with some very photogenic orange-hued potatoes
Photo: Chronica Domus


Wouldn't you just know it, these earthy tubers, no bigger than a few inches in length, are the most flavorful potatoes I've had the pleasure of sampling in quite a while.  And, yes, they really are orange!
Their interior is equally delightful to the eye, possessing a glorious sunny-yellow flesh. Prince of Orange might very well be the most strikingly handsome spud of them all.

Chronica Domus
What a lovely surprise to discover that Prince of Orange's interior is as colorful as its skin
Photo: Chronica Domus


I prepared the potatoes simply, so that their delicious, creamy flavor might remain front and center. Boiled, then coated in extra virgin olive oil and chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, a liberal sprinkling of salt, and a few cracks of the pepper mill, and my princely potatoes were ready for the table.  Need I say it, they were heavenly!

Having frequented the farmers' markets in my area for many years, I remain perpetually awestruck by the range of unfamiliar fruit and vegetable varieties, both modern and heirloom, that are cultivated by our local farmers.  How grateful I remain for their steadfast toil and dedication in delivering their glorious fresh bounty to market, well before the sun comes up so that we, their appreciative fans, are able to eat so well.

Can you recall the last time you sampled an unfamiliar yet enjoyable variety of vegetable or fruit?

13 comments:

  1. What lovely Autumn colours, almost like smooth eggs in your basket! (One of my favorite silly jokes in the world is "What did the little chicken say when he saw his first Easter Egg?" Answer: "Look at the Orange Mama laid!"

    And you know, some several of the particularly tasty items HAVE been potatoes---and not even any GUCCI new varieties, just simple, well-cooked dishes which brought out the best in the potato. Once, at my one-and-only Family Reunion with a far-flung branch of Chris family in Alabama, it was just a small Pyrex dish of plain old boiled potato pieces, with perhaps butter and salt, and it was difficult not to wish they'd made that just for me, and I could simply sit down with a spoon.

    And then there were the magical SATSUMAS---a true Goblin Market fruit of memory and longing.

    http://lawntea.blogspot.com/2009/01/magical-satsumas.html

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    1. Hello racheld,

      Golly! The thought of what Gucci would do with the humble spud just sent shivers up my spine.

      Potatoes, I've found, are delicious in all their starchy forms but the simply prepared versions are often my favorite.

      Thank you for the link to your magical satsumas. I look forward to reading it momentarily.

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  2. Hello CD, Your Prince of Orange potatoes seem to glow with color from within, as indeed the yellow interior bears out. Living in California, you are doubly blessed with variety and quality.

    I have been lucky to have a continuous array of new foods most of my life--from picking wild fruits and vegetables while I was growing up, to now living in Taiwan where it seems that I could try a new food each day without running out.

    One fun new fruit I tried last summer was Witches' Fingers grapes, which in addition to their intriguing shape, also had superior flavor and texture.
    --Jim

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    1. Hello Jim,

      You've made me want to seek out those intriguing grapes to try for myself. I just looked up an image of Witches' Fingers grapes and I can honestly say, I've never quite seen anything like them in any country I've visited. Obviously, I need to get myself out to Taiwan soon.

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    2. Well, it appears that a trip to Taiwan may just have to wait as I've just read these peculiar grapes have been developed here in California. Will now be on the hunt for them and I won't rest until I've sampled a few for myself, thank you.

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    3. Hello CD, Yes, we bought those grapes in Ohio. But you are still welcome to come to Taiwan, where I am sure there will be enough novelty in store for you. --Jim

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    4. Hello Jim,

      I'm sure you are right about Taiwan and can only imagine what a trip to the market would be like there.

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  3. Your orange potatoes look wonderful. The only new fruit I've tried (and I know they've been around for a while) is yellow tomatoes. Wonderful. And enjoyable when combined with beefsteaks in a salad.

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    1. Hello Diogenes,

      I'm hoping to snag a few more of these delectable spuds when I'm back at the market early on Saturday morning. They really are a treat to eat!

      Yellow tomatoes are indeed wonderful. Most of the varieties I've tried veer towards the sweet end of the taste scale (including the ones in my garden presently, Golden Currant). Yesterday, while visiting a friend, I tried her home-grown Golden Sunburst and was surprised at how tart they were, more like green tomatoes. They were good nonetheless but I'm biased as I adore tomatoes in all their funny shapes, sizes and colors.

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  4. Those are beautiful. Farmer's Markets are such treasure troves these days. I'm glad the flavour matched the aesthetic appeal!

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    1. Hello Jen Lawrence,

      If I were ever to move away from the Bay Area, it would be the farmers' markets that I'd miss the most.

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  5. These are beautiful! Your market is something not to be missed, I have to say you do find the treasures. Maybe a combination of the market itself but also your eye!

    I can't think of anything unusual I've come across lately, though it is our local season and we have a delivery of vegetables every Tuesday morning, these are the glory days!

    Thanks for sharing the orange potatoes, and the method of preparing them: so simply perfect. Now I have to go boil some potatoes (red ones will have to do). XX

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    1. New red potatoes are just as lovely boiled, Dani.

      If you ever happen to find yourself in San Francisco, you must put the farmers' market on your list of places to visit. It truly is a highlight of the city and we always like to take our out-of-town visitors here on a Saturday morning to show them how the locals shop.

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