Fingerling potatoes were bred in Europe.

They are “finger-sized” potatoes, that can be red, orange, yellow, purple or white in color.

Fingerlings can be baked, roasted, grilled, steamed, sautéed, boiled, fried or mashed.  Toss whole in a little salted oil and roast on a baking sheet at 400F until browned and fork tender for an easy, delicious snack.  2

Science!  Use your potato as an electrical conductor to power time!  3

Potatoes have gotten a bad rep in the past few years.  Due to the recent demonization of carbohydrates, white-colored foods, and our culture’s love of the deep fat fryer, many now unfortunately view potatoes as a “junk” food.  Let us not forget, carbohydrates are an important food group, and part of a balanced diet.  Indeed, carbohydrates are our brain’s favorite food!  Potatoes have kept countries, like Ireland, alive in times of famine.  Spanish sailors are said to have used potatoes as protection from scurvy due to their vitamin C content.

Potatoes are low in fat and provide (with skin on) vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, phytochemicals, fiber, and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.  4

This week’s recipe is for Fingerling Soup du Gore.  Fortify one’s family against the sugar blues this All Hallows’ Eve with this horrifyingly hearty soup.  Serve a la carte, as a complete meal, or with toast.

Making the soup is half the fun: Take your child to the market and look for “gory” looking ingredients together, then smash and tear them apart like monsters, and throw them into your cauldron.

For an extra “bloody” broth, add optional tomato paste or red food coloring.

Fingerling Soup du Gore  

Preparation Time:  1 hour

Yield:  6 – 8 Servings

Ingredients:

eye balls  (pearl onions, root end cut off) 
plasma  (vegetable broth)
blood & gore  (canned stewed tomatoes, torn, with juice)
fingers  (fingerling potatoes)
teeth  (corn kernels) 
brains  (cauliflowerettes) 
kidneys  (canned kidney beans, rinsed) 
flesh  (zucchini, smashed) 
severed toes  (baby carrots, halved) 
finger nails (garlic cloves, sliced)
grubs  (steamed rice, barley, or gnocchi)
Optional: extra blood  (tomato paste or red food coloring)

Equipment:

knife
cutting board
cauldron  (large, thick-bottomed pot)
spatula
ladle or large spoon
 

Eyeball Instructions: 

1.  Place pot/pan on stove burner.

3.  Arrange the pearl onions, cut side down, in a non-stick pot/pan.

4.  Turn on the burner to medium, and saute onions until cut side browned, forming an “iris” on the “eyeballs.”

5.  Set aside.

Soup Instructions:

1.  Heat the pot on high medium.

2.  Add broth and rest of ingredients.

4.  Bring to boil. 

5.  Reduce heat and simmer, while whispering incantations, until vegetables are fork tender. 

6.  Serve warm a la carte, as a complete meal, or with toast (recipe below).

References:

1.  Potato Goodness

2.  Strohauer Farms  

3.  Potato Clock Video  

4.  USDA Nutrient Database

Happy Birthday to The Fun Food Feed!

This entry marks one year since the launching of the Fun Food Feed!  It has been a wonderful experience creating each entry, learning more about food, and eating the spoils.  For its second year, the Fun Food Feed schedule will move from biweekly to quarterly.  Thank you to all subscribers for your support.  Here’s to the years to come!