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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Humble tubers no more, these small potatoes are making it big
  • Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 08:37:58 -0600


Humble tubers no more, these small potatoes are making it big
By Charlie Nardozzi
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/fingerlingpotatoes

Fingerling potatoes are turning up in the poshest places these days, such
as the menus of some of the country's finest restaurants.

Why all the fuss? The answer includes the novelty of their small size;
their moist, waxy or dry, mealy texture; and their sometimes striking
colors, including purple. Fingerlings are ideal for roasting, particularly
in the juices of other foods, and give cooks sometimes subtle, sometimes
dramatic variations on the potato theme. Also try parboiling and then
grilling them, or use them in salads with fennel. Or simply dice and fry
them and eat them as a snack food.

Going shopping for fingerlings? Better check your wallet. Their current
price reflects the flashy company they keep. Though Idaho bakers are going
for about $1 per pound, fingerlings are selling for two to four times that.

Of course home gardeners don't have to pay such fancy prices. Quite the
contrary, fingerlings should be even cheaper because the plants are often
more productive. For instance, 1 pound of seed potatoes of a full-sized
type produces 8 to 12 pounds of tubers. But 1 pound of fingerling seed
pieces will produce up to 20 pounds of fingerlings.

Fingerlings are (in the literal sense only) small potatoes. Sizes vary, but
most are 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 2 to 3 inches long. One, 'Austrian
Crescent', produces tubers that are 10 inches long. Presumably, a European
farmer in the sixteenth century or so pulled up one of these plants and
noticed that the long, narrow, dangling tubers resemble fingers, unlike the
larger, fatter kinds that resemble apples.

The most famous potato in North America is a baking type. It's large and
thick skinned, and has a dry, mealy texture that's suited to baking or
mashing. Smaller, thin-skinned potatoes, which include the fingerlings,
hold their shape better after cooking. These kinds are better suited to
potato salads, boiling, and steaming.

Like all potatoes, fingerlings trace their roots (no pun intended) to the
Andes mountains of Peru. Though the small, many-eyed, elongated fingerlings
more closely resemble the wild potatoes of Peru, most are no closer to
"wild" than ordinary, large baking and boiling potatoes. Two exceptions are
'Purple Peruvian' and 'Ozette', which can trace their heritage directly to
Andean ancestors.

Fingerlings to Grow

Most varieties have red or yellow skin and yellow, waxy flesh. The two
exceptions are the dry, mealy, purple-fleshed 'Purple Peruvian' and
red-fleshed 'Red Thumb'. The following varieties are the most popular ones
in garden catalogs. Sizes are approximate; fingerling tubers may vary
widely in length.

Varieties with Waxy, Moist Flesh

'Austrian Crescent': The skin is tan, smooth, and firm; the flesh is light
yellow. This variety produces plentiful 2- by 10-inch tubers. Sometimes the
skin is bitter, so peel and steam, or serve chilled in salads.

'French Fingerling': Silky-smooth, cranberry-red skin covers moist yellow
flesh marbled with red, especially just under the skin. The 1 1 / 2 - by
3-inch-long tubers look as good as they taste. Best steamed or roasted.

'Rose Finn Apple': Smooth, rose-colored skin and deep yellow flesh make
this one of the most attractive and delicious fingerlings. Best eaten baked
or steamed.

'Ruby Crescent': Ruby-skinned and yellow-fleshed tubers are 1 inch by 3
inches and often knobby (which makes cleaning more difficult). About a
quarter of the tubers produced by the vigorous plants have knobby, short
growths on the main tuber. These fingerlings are best roasted.

'Russian Banana': Yellow-skinned, yellow-fleshed, and medium-sized tubers
produced in a quantity rivaling Austrian Crescent's make this one of the
most popular fingerlings. Russian Banana tubers measure 1 inch by 3 inches.
Along with perhaps French Fingerling, this variety is the one you'll most
likely find served in restaurants. Best baked, steamed, or in salads.

Varieties with Mealy, Dry Flesh

'Butterfinger': The skin is slightly rough and brown, and flesh is yellow.
Full-sized tubers are about 1 inch by 2 1 / 2 inches. The flesh stays firm
when cooked, making this fingerling perfect for salads and steaming. This
variety may also be sold as Swedish Peanut. Stores well.

'Ozette': Yellow-skinned and yellow-fleshed tubers have deeply set eyes
that spiral around the 2- by 3-inch tuber. Best roasted. This one is named
for the Ozette Indian tribe of the Olympic Peninsula who adapted the
variety from potatoes brought by Spanish explorers. Ozette may also be sold
or listed under the alternate names Haida or Kasaan.

'Purple Peruvian': Uniquely purple skin and flesh are perhaps this
fingerling's best features. The tubers measure 3 / 4 by 2 inches. The plant
is less productive than most fingerlings. Best mashed or baked.

'Red Thumb': Smooth and easily cleaned red skin and red flesh make this 1-
by 2-inch tuber highly appealing. The plant is very productive. This
variety is best when roasted.

How to Grow Fingerlings

Grow fingerling potatoes just as you would any potato. But keep in mind
that all but 'French Fingerling' need at least 90 to 100 days of frost-free
weather to produce tubers. Plant seed pieces in the garden after the last
frost in your area. To avoid diseases, plant where potatoes or related
plants (tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants) have not grown for at least a
year.

Make fingerling seed pieces smaller than those for ordinary potatoes. Cut
tubers into 1-ounce disks that have at least 2 to 3 eyes per disk. Larger
potato varieties usually require a 2-ounce piece.

Set the seed pieces in 4- to 6-inch-deep planting holes or trenches.
Because fingerling plants are usually larger and rangier than modern
varieties, give them more room than you would typical potatoes: Space seed
pieces about 18 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.

Like other potatoes, fingerlings need a loose, deep, sandy, or sandy loam
soil, or soils generously amended with organic matter such as compost.
Ideally, cultivate a 3- to 4-inch layer of composted manure into the
planting bed early in the season. All potatoes need regular irrigation or
rainfall throughout the season. But be especially careful to keep
fingerlings' soil moist. Even brief dry periods will produce misshaped or
smaller tubers.

Once the plants have emerged from the ground, hill soil up, covering all
but one-third of the sprout. Repeat hilling three to four weeks later.
Mulch the rows with a 4- to 6-inch-thick layer of straw mulch when plants
emerge to help conserve moisture and stop weed seeds from germinating.

Fingerlings are no more or less susceptible to potato pests (blights, scab,
and insects such as Colorado potato beetle) than ordinary potatoes. To help
prevent disease, plant certified disease-free potatoes, maintain soil pH
close to 6, mulch with hay or straw, and avoid overhead watering. To
control Colorado potato beetle larvae, check weekly for the clusters of
orange eggs on the undersides of leaves and crush them. The larvae can be
controlled by spraying Bt 'San Diego' when the larvae are small. Repeat
spraying as the eggs hatch. The spray does not control the adults, so you
can either handpick the adults or spray them with pyrethrum insecticide.

Because the tubers are small, picking and cleaning can take more time than
with larger varieties. The easiest cleaning method is a strong spray of
water from a hose. Beware: Once you start eating fingerlings, you'll never
want to limit yourself to one type of potato again.

Fingerling Serving Ideas

Here's a sampling of how some of America's finest restaurants are serving
fingerling potatoes.

* Baked with wild striped bass and shellfish broth, served with whole
garlic, tomato, and olive oil -- Gotham Bar and Grill, New York
* Roasted, served with seared diver sea scallops, toasted peanuts, and
caramelized endive broth -- Water's Edge, New York
* Roasted with breast of chicken, carrots, leeks, and lemon thyme in
butter sauce -- Jake's Restaurant, Pennsylvania
* Roasted plain, served with leg of lamb and yellow wax beans and red
torpedo onions -- Equus, California
* Roasted with medallions of ostrich, served with applesauce,
caramelized onions, corn, tomato broth, and fall vegetables -- Sonoma
Mission Inn & Spa, California






  • [Livingontheland] Humble tubers no more, these small potatoes are making it big, TradingPostPaul, 08/28/2006

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