An ode to the humble potato

Potatoes grow in the ground,
Covered in an earthy mound.
Sprinkle some salt,
You won’t be at fault
They’re all delicious and round.

That was our attempt at a potato limerick contribution at the recent fabulous ‘Spring Fling’ with @potatoes_nz at their ‘November Means New Potatoes’ event.

For us spud lovers it was an evening of divine pleasures as we sampled an array of potato dishes including: gnocchi; Masala Dosa filled with potatoes and carrots; potato pomme; Patata’s bravaas - Spanish potatoes with smoked paprika, chorizo and garlic aioli, steamed new potatoes with mint; and a wicked wholegrain mustard potato puree. A few of these recipes were from our speaker for the evening, the talented Nadia Lim’s, latest cookbook ‘Vegeful’.

Meeting our awesome Aotearoa potato growers was a great way to connect with the farmers putting this delightful carbohydrate on our plates.

Wilcox had just some of their potato range on display, ‘Vivaldi Gold’ and the always popular ‘Perlas’, along with ‘Waxy Potatoes’ perfect for boiling and salads. The delightful April Oakley from Oakely’s Vegetables entertained us with her favourite way to eat their ‘Golden Gourmets’. And the Bhana Family Farms have the answer to a spud that’s suitable for every purpose with their ‘All Rounder’.

The Balle Bros have been farming the taonga that is our fertile Pukekohe soils since 1948. Their ‘Ilam Hardy’ and ‘Gourmandine’ potatoes came packaged in eco-friendly, hessian, ‘The Greater Good storage bags, which will go down a treat with shoppers.

We’re a little old school and reckon new potatoes can’t be beaten alongside our New Zealand, grass-fed, beef and lamb.