Accordion Potatoes

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Brad recently turned me on to mixedgreensblog.com and it has fast become one of my favorite cooking-related blogs. The photos are beautiful, the recipes are seasonal and simple, the principles of sustainable/local living match my own and I enjoy the author's writing style. I highly recommend this blog as a favorite to follow. If you check the Mixed Greens blog today, you will see this Accordion Potatoes recipe as the latest entry. I was so excited by the idea of the recipe, that I decided to prepare it immediately. It is a basic dish but with some serious aesthetic flair. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

several medium potatoes, clean and unpeeled

rosemary or other herb of choice, chopped

chopped garlic scapes or sliced garlic

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes in slices about 1/4 ” thick without cutting all the way through. (Use wooden spoon handles or chopsticks on either side). Chop herbs and garlic or garlic scapes and stuff between potato slices, being careful not to break slices off. Brush potatoes all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in hot oven until crispy and brown; about 45 minutes, depending on the size of potatoes.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Okay, this one was just plain fun to prepare. What a clever idea to use wooden spoons as a means to ensuring that the potatoes do not get sliced all the way through. I love ideas that make preparation easier and more precise! I am growing my own potatoes this summer for the first time ever but they are not yet ready for harvest. As a result, I went to PCC Market and asked a produce specialist for his recommendation. He pointed me toward organic Yukon Gold potatoes. His recommendation was perfect because I was able to choose my potatoes from a variety of sizes so they baked perfectly. I concur with the author of mixedgreensblog.com when she wrote that the texture of the potatoes is both crunchy and creamy; a cross between roasted and baked.

I also really enjoyed using garlic scapes for the first time. I was not aware of garlic scapes until I read an article about them a few months ago. Garlic scapes are the flowering stalks of hardneck varieties of garlic and they are Good with a capital G! I am absolutely sold on using them moving forward because although I like garlic, it can be too strong for me at times. Garlic scapes are a perfect alternative because the flavor is the same or very similar to garlic, it is just a bit more mild. I absolutely loved the flavor. How exciting to have a new ingredient to introduce into my cooking.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

I served the potatoes with sauteed free-range chicken for Olivia and Brad and Field Roast sausage for me. In addition, I pan-fried zucchini slices in olive oil and then added kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. This was a lovely meal that was enjoyed by all. I will absolutely serve Accordion Potatoes in the future ; especially when I want to add a little something special to our plates.