a word about potatoes

There is something really satisfying about cooking a super frugal meal that is both satisfying and tasty.  Waiting for dinner is a large pot of leek & potato soup, with a leek from the garden (one of the only successful things I grew this year!) and potatoes from my mega Welsh roadside bargain bag.  G will want bread with it, as he always does, but I’m always full enough from the soup alone not to need any accompaniment.

Potatoes are actually more nutritious than we give them credit for – I stopped peeling potatoes years ago, because not only am I lazy but that’s where all the goodness is.  If you’re fussy about peels, please just give it a try and I swear you will eventually get used to it.  175g of cooked, unpeeled potatoes contain 44% RDA Vitamin C, 11% RDA Vitamin B1, 30% RDA Vitamin B6, 9% RDA folic acid, 22% RDA potassium, 20% RDA iron and more fibre than 2 slices of wholemeal bread! (and only 116 kcal and 0.5g fat for the same serving) Remember it’s what we ADD to potatoes that makes us think they are “unhealthy”.

I wish I lived in Wales so I could buy these potatoes again and again.  The first one I grabbed from our giant 12.5kg sack was literally the size of guinea pig!!

Idiot-proof leek & potato soup

Note: leeks aren’t all that cheap to buy out of season, so the rest of the year I use normal brown onions which taste just fine

½ - 1 leek (depending on size), chopped

600g potatoes, cubed

1 stock cube

Lots of boiling water

Black pepper to taste

Saute your leek in the bottom of your saucepan/stockpot in a bit of vegetable oil.  Once softened, add the potato, enough boiling water to cover and the stock cube.  Simmer until the potato is very well cooked.  Blitz in food processor or with hand blender until smooth.  Season to taste; tastes delicious with posh swirl of virgin olive oil but totally not necessary!

This amount feeds 2 hungry adults with loads left for lunch the next day, so it probably would feed a family of 4.  It’s hard for me to write quantities because I rarely measure stuff like potatoes!

(credit to my friend weezl for giving me the idea to list the nutritional value of potatoes!)