Manuela Ruther - Potato Kitchen: From Soil to Table – Over 70 Inspiring Recipes

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Preface

Out of the cellar and into the kitchen.

P otatoes were an ever-present feature of my childhood on the farm. Barely a day went by when they were not served up in one form or another. Sometimes we got mashed, jacket, or boiled potatoes. Other days we might get chips or potato croquettes. Often potatoes were the central attraction, perhaps in a creamy casserole or savoury tart; sometimes we got a hearty helping of fried potatoes with bacon, onions, and fried eggs; other times it was simple potato fritters with apple pure.

As a child, I never questioned this abundance of potatoes. After all, they were always absolutely delicious. Whats more, from my childs perspective, I never considered chips, potato fritters, and gratin to be repetitive. Quite the opposite! And I found nothing surprising about the fact that all these delicious things could be made from one and the same root vegetable.

Potatoes themselves seemed equally unremarkable to me. They just grew in the garden. In spring we would plant them out with Grandpa Fritz; and in the autumn we would fetch in the harvest, usually during what were referred to as the potato holidays. Ringing in our ears would be Grannys enigmatic motto The stupidest farmers grow the fattest potatoes, which my little sister would chant and repeat till the cows came home because it amused her so much.

I never gave a second thought to the incredible variety of potatoes or their different flavours. It just never occurred to me. Why would it? Unlike apples, our potatoes all looked pretty similar: they were oval, brown, and covered in soil. After washing, they were brownish yellow, and after peeling, they were even yellower. They looked like potatoes in other words. In terms of taste, some were floury, others were waxier. And their names? Anya, Charlotte, or Desire many were womens names, all similar. I wonder why?

Luckily, my attitude would gradually change. Certainly by the time I was training as a chef, I had grown to appreciate the incredible diversity offered by this vegetable. Heritage potatoes would turn up in the kitchen, varieties with different names, shapes, and colours, and each with its own distinctive taste. The French gourmet variety La Ratte celebrated a comeback on menus in exclusive restaurants. Blue mash became all the rage. The Linda was brought back from near extinction in Germany. Eventually, other varieties would be too.

But it was not just gourmet chefs who were realizing the potential of the potato. Gradually, this vegetable was also winning over the hearts and minds of amateur chefs for everyday cooking. Food markets began to stock far more than the standard floury or waxy varieties. Vendors would sing the praises of the creamy Blue Congo or Blue Anneliese, which is particularly good for making mash. Or they might extol the virtues of the Red Emmalie. In summary, at the start of the 21st century, the potato had emerged from its dark cellar to become a culinary star once again.