Potatoes.
I grew up on them. They appeared on our plates most evenings in some form or another because they are also my dad’s favorite. We enjoyed them mashed, boiled, fried, baked, twice-baked, puréed, roasted, and scalloped, and were part of just about every soup, stew, casserole, or pot pie. They were always there, and we loved them.
The good and the not so much
Of course, potatoes were not just part of healthy dinners, French fries and potato chips were ever present as well. My favorite all-time cheat is a potato chip, specifically State Line Potato Chips that we had as a child. They were perfect – thin and crispy, and tasting wonderfully of potato with just the right amount of salt. Originally a New England company, it was purchased by a large conglomerate and they eventually stopped making them. For a time at least,’ a few years ago, a Canadian company started making them again, and they were definitely the same recipe as from my youth, but sadly I’ve not seen them for some time. Perhaps it is for the best, since I have no ‘stop button’ when eating them!
Desert Island staple
I have cooked and eaten potatoes every way possible all my life, and have only met two kinds in all that time I didn’t like (hint, one was canned, the other ‘mashed’ in a blender). They remain one of my top three desert island foods because they are tasty, versatile, and can be the star or backup singer. Sad were the times I was on a low-carb diet and had to shun them. But they were quite forgiving, and offered up their comfort once again when I was reminded of the nutrition encased in these humble little spuds, detailed at the end of the article. From potassium to fiber, the potato itself is a superstar and doesn’t need to be doused in sour cream, butter, or gravy to shine. But a few healthier ingredients that enhance the flavor are always welcome.
Roasted, and enhanced
Most of us have had roasted potatoes of some sort; they are simple to toss in the oven on any weeknight, and always a crowd pleaser, especially if you smash them half way through cooking for more crispy surface area! Garlic, lemon, and rosemary is a favorite flavor combo that works on lots of foods, so refreshing and delightful, and potatoes are a perfect canvas for this trio.
Potato possibilities
The potatoes I found at the farm stand this week were a quirky little ‘calico’ variety I’d not seen before. They are small and waxy with a lovely yellow flesh. You can use any smallish potato you like here, fingerlings would be really tasty, red bliss as well. Swap out a yellow onion or even a leek if you don’t care for purple onions, and adjust the garlic and herbs to your own desire. I tossed in the carrots because I needed to use them up, you can omit them and the dish will be just as wonderful.
Bet you can’t…
What’ your favorite way to eat a potato? Can you stop eating potato chips after only one?
Roasted and Smashed Garlic and Lemon Potatoes
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. (500 g.) small firm potato such as calico or red bliss
- 6 oz. (180 g.) carrots, cut in chunks, optional
- 1 purple onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
- Same of fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (230 C.) and place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack to heat up.
Scrub potatoes and pierce each once with a sharp knife. Chop your carrots, slice your onion, zest your lemon, and mince your garlic and rosemary.
Once the oven is hot, carefully remove the pan, drizzle with the olive oil, and place vegetables in separate sections (they will later cook at different times), making sure all sides are coated with the oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. You want them to be mostly cooked at this point.
Remove the sheet from the oven and with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, gently squash down the potatoes, keeping them mostly intact but the outer skins cracked. If they don’t squash easily, return to the oven to cook a few more minutes.
Combine the garlic, lemon, rosemary, and a bit more olive oil, and sprinkle on top of the vegetables. Return the pan to the oven and roast another 10 to 15 minutes, removing the onions sooner if they start to brown too much.
Once everything is nicely browned and where you want them, and the house smells like potato heaven, plate them up and drizzle with the lemon juice and a little more olive oil. Taste and correct seasoning.
Potato nutritional information: On their own, they have no fat. Nutrient dense, an average potato has around 110 calories, 26 g. carbs, 2 g. fiber, 3 g. protein, and are a great source of Vitamins C (25% of your daily RDA) and B6, potassium (four times that of a banana), iron, calcium, and they are filled with antioxidants. Additionally, the deeper the potato color, the higher the mineral content, so keep that in mind when purchasing or growing.
Copyright 2024– or current year, The New Vintage Kitchen. Dorothy Grover-Read. Unattributed use of this material and photographs is strictly prohibited. Reposting and links may be used, provided that credit is given to The New Vintage Kitchen, with active link and direction to this original post.
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Looks lovely!
Thank you! When you start with potatoes, you are headed in the right direction!
This gets a Maine wowsah! Looks utterly delicious. As the great-granddaughter of potato farmers, I feel as though I come naturally by my love of potatoes. And love them I do.
Well, Idaho can keep theirs, it’s local or Maine all the way for me when buying potatoes! The State Line chips were made from Maine potatoes as I recall.
Hear, hear. And, alas, I’ve never had State Line chips.
The last time I had them was when I was camping in the Northeast Kingdom, just a stone’s throw from Canada and apparently their manufacturing facility!
Like you, my husband is helpless when it comes to chips. Would love to get some for him. I’ll check it out to see if I can order online.
Let me know!
Will do!
Yum! I swear that I can smell their deliciousness through my screen!
Thanks! They were really divine!
Love potatoes and garlic!
They are a wonderful combo!
I used to eat them raw in Dad’s 3 acre “garden” in KC when he was harvesting them!😋
Hmm, can’t say I’ve ever acquired the taste for them raw! But what a fun memory for you!
I’m my Irish Father’s daughter!! I love Potatoes. Brought up on them. Will even sneak them cold out of the fridge leftovers!
Your tray of Potatoes looks simply gorgeous and I would devour them in a heartbeat. :))
Mary :))
My Dad was Irish too, which, I’m sure, is why he loved potatoes at every meal! He had the same breakfast every day, over-easy eggs, bacon, and thin-fried potatoes cooked in the bacon fat.
Potatoes with lemon and garlic are my favorite! Adding all these roasted veggies to them makes them even better! 🙂
Thanks Ronit! You know me, I can’t resist tossing in the little limp carrot to save it from the compost bucket!
They don’t look limp after roasting! 🙂
No, they don’t!
I want to buy those calico potatoes, so different! I have never seen them either. Your smashed potatoes (one of my favorites) look absolutely delicious!
Thank you! I was delighted to find these little beauties, and they tasted wonderful.
Great dish
Thank you so much!
Lemon and garlic are my favourite way to enhamce the potato..like you I dislike tinned potatoes and that instant potato called Smash or the like …I remember my mother trying that when it first hit the market and we all gave it the thumbs down..Smash was never on the menu again…x
Oh, I forgot about that! As a mashed potato, really revolting. However, those flakes are really good coating fish for a shallow pan fry in butter, but only if you can find a brand that is only dehydrated potatoes.
Look so incredible! I can eat these types of potatoes any day of the week
Or any meal of any day of the week…
Oh yeah! This is exactly my kind of potatoes!
The flavors of lemon, garlic and rosemary is making my mouth water.
Mmmm! Mmmmm!
They are really mouthwatering indeed!
Yum! These look so good! Thanks for the recipe (must try it soon). Had not heard of State Line Potato Chips, but from your description, they sound like they’d have the same irresistibleness as Maui Potato Chips (though Maui’s are probably thicker sliced).
Thanks Jama! State Line are my gold standard of potato chips for sure!
Those little potatoes are so cute! I’m going to suggest we try this at the inn!!
We have so much in common Nora, from journalist to innkeeper!
These are easy to keep warm and everyone seems to love them!
I love roasted potatoes with rosemary, and your addition of carrots and purple onion makes for a beautiful dish!
Jenna
Mmm, perfect seasonal comfort food, I reckon! We often do a tray of roast potatoes mixed with other veg, garlic and herbs but I love the idea of the lemon in your recipe, it just takes things another level. 😊
The lemon certainly brightens things up Lis. And if there are any leftovers, probably doubtful, but if there are, the lemon is intensified.
Those are beautiful potatoes! Love the post.
Thank you Mimi! Love those potatoes!
Perfect for autumn!
The best!
Yes. Yes. Yessss. 🧄🍃🥔
And I got yesserie!
Delicious!
The potatoes look like a cross between a red and gold potato. Smashed potatoes are so good, I never thought to add carrots; good idea!
They were funny little spuds, and the interior was very deeply yellow, more so than a Yukon Gold. They were of the same consistency as a red.
YES. I’d love to get my hands on those cute little calico potatoes! I’m with you on potatoes being an absolute staple food. You cracked me up with the mention of blender “mashed” potatoes. Of course, we know that by its other name– wallpaper paste. Hahaha
Wallpaper paste indeed! And even that can work for you. I have, somewhere, a recipe for a vegan cream sauce made with squash and nutritional yeast and mashed potato in a blender to mimic the feel of the cheese. Not a favorite of mine, but some liked it.
Oh, my gosh, potatoes are my desert island food too! These look delish!
Thank you Molly! Could eat potatoes every day and not tire of them.
I’m with you on all the potatoes, Dorothy. Another food to take on our hide-away 🙂 I’ve never added lemon, but will try this. You have the best ideas, my friend.
Thanks! I think I’ve squeezed a lemon on just about everything! Usually it works.
I love potatoes in all the ways 😋😉 These looks so good!
Thanks! I’m with you, and I never tire of them!
Looks so good!
Thank you! I’ve made them a few times now, and never any leftovers!
I adore potatoes! This sounds like a wonderful way to make them!
Thank you! They are craveable that’s for sure!
Dorothy, This is such a great recipe for roasted potatoes. My family would fight over them! Thank you for sharing it!
Ciao,
Roz
Thanks Roz ! They will at the very least, eye each other when that platter has just a couple left!
This is a great recipe for potatoes. I am a big potato fan too. Nice combination of flavors. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I’m so glad it caught your eye. Potatoes have a way of doing that!
Delicious! 🥔🥔🥔⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two of the best food groups!