Let's Talk Food: Versatility of potatoes makes them a favorite

Even in the three-star restaurants of Paris the potato takes center stage. Mashed potatoes are more than a side-dish in the palaces of haute cuisine. Here Puree de Pommes de Terre is treated with genuine reverence. A cart is wheeled in containing boiled potatoes in a steaming kettle. Before the patron's eyes they are drained, mashed and whipped with cream and butter. The maitre d' and a trained waiter are in attendance and they resemble two surgeons about to perform surgery. While the maitre d' peels the potatoes his cohort stands ready with the masher, the whisk, the butter, the cream, the salt, the white pepper and a warm chafing dish to receive this perfect, palate pleasing creation.

No need to travel to the City of Light for a generous helping of mashed potatoes. During the holidays the potato may not take center stage but this delicious and versatile tuber is a key supporting player in the culinary arts.

We can thank two courageous and enterprising men for bringing the potatoes to tables throughout the world. It was the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizzaro who first recognized the potential of the potato. While his fellow adventurers were pillaging the villages of the native Indians in Peru, it was Francisco Pizzaro who became intrigued with the small, wild potatoes that the Indians consumed with great relish. Those first small South American potatoes and their aristocratic descendants were destined to travel far afield and contribute greatly to the nourishment and epicurean pleasures of mankind.

It wasn't until 1621 that a shipment of English-grown potatoes was brought to North America, by way of Bermuda, landing in the sparsely settled colony of Virginia. The soil there proved to be ideal for their cultivation, and those early settlers developed a variety of recipes that added greatly to their sparse diets.

It was here that Sir Francis Drake first was introduced to the potato and became its most enthusiastic champion. He brought potatoes to his estate in England and presented his patron, Queen Elizabeth with several plants. She took the potatoes to her chef who had never encountered such a strange plant and with no directions he served the bitter leaves instead of the root, thereby consigning it to obscurity for many years.

In the meantime Drake brought the potato to his Irish estate and shared his secret crop with his neighbors. Thus was born the Irish dependence on the potato. It thrived and over the years the potato became a staple in their diet. The Irish became so dependent on this versatile vegetable that the famous potato blight of the 1840s resulted in over one million deaths by starvation.

The humble potato has now risen to new culinary heights with the development of varieties that include tubers that are resistant to disease and are on the way to approaching nutritional perfection. Genetic engineers have developed a potato that they claim has a higher-quality protein than that in beef.

An ordinary potato is a nutritional bonanza containing high fiber, yet low in calories. A medium potato contains about 110 calories, fewer than an apple of the same size. Eat a potato a day and you'll get 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C, 15 percent for vitamin B-6 with traces of iron, thiamin and folic acid.

Along with its health benefits, potatoes are versatile and add much to any meal. From soup to dessert the potato is the perfect ingredient, bringing flavor, tastiness and health to all who partake.

MASHED POTATOES

4 large potatoes (about 11/2 pounds)

Water to cover

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

1/4 cup whole, hot milk

1/4 cup hot cream

Freshly ground black pepper to taste Call them what you will; mashed, whipped or creamed, potatoes are a tradition at holiday meals.

Wash potatoes and peel them. Drop them as they are peeled into cold water. Cut the peeled potatoes in uniform quarters and place in a large saucepan. Add water to cover. The water should be about 1 inch above the top of the potatoes. Add salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil and simmer until they are tend but not mushy. Put the hot potatoes through a food mill, food ricer or use a hand-held old-fashioned potato masher. While they are still hot, beat in the butter with a wooden spoon. Beat in the hot milk and cream a little at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. Serves 4.

Variations:

Add roasted garlic that has been mashed thoroughly to the mashed potatoes

Add 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Add several slices of cooked, mined bacon bits

Add finely chopped parsley

POTATO FOCACCIA

1 package active dry yeast

4 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons salt

1 cup milk

3/4 cup mashed potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, basil or rosemary

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese A few weeks back I had a column about bread. Ron Diori requested that I give a recipe for focaccia -- and here's a recipe that uses potatoes and goat cheese to produce a luscious rustic Italian hearth bread. A great addition to a hearty soup, stew or salad.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine yeast, 2 cups of the flour and 2 teaspoons salt. In a 1-quart saucepan over low heat, warm the milk to 120 to 130 degrees. With the mixer on low speed, beat the milk into the dry ingredients until just blended. Add 1/2 cup of the flour, the mashed potatoes and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and beat for 2 minutes. With a spoon, stir in 11/2 cups flour to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, gradually kneading in more flour if necessary. Grease a jelly-roll pan. Pat the dough into the prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and in it cook the diced potatoes about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Evenly spoon the potato mixture over the dough in the pan; sprinkle with the goat cheese and bake on the lower rack of the oven for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden. Serves 8 to 10.

SWISS POTATO SOUP

2 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 cups seasoned mashed potatoes

2 cups whole milk

2 cups grated Swiss cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Crisp cooked bacon, crumbled

Chives This is a tasty, quick way to use up those leftover mashed potatoes.

In a large kettle melt butter. Add onion and saut until transparent. Add potatoes and milk. Blend well. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Heat soup very slowly and stir until cheese melts. Take care to not boil. Garnish with bacon and/or chives. Serves 6.

Doris Reynolds is the author of "Let's Talk Food" and "When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet Was Fried." They are available for sale in the lobby of The Naples Daily News. For comments and questions regarding today's column, contact Doris Reynolds at foodlvr25@aol.com.