This Spud’s for You: Selecting and Cooking Potatoes

Is there anything better than cooking potatoes, neighbor? From summer potato salads, to hearty winter stews, it seems like everything tastes better with those starchy nuggets of goodness. Most of us know our way around good, old-fashioned baking potatoes, but there are lots of options for mixing up your potato dishes. We love potatoes at any time of year, but since September is National Potato Month, we wanted to offer up a few tips and recipes to level up your potato game.

Types of Potatoes
There are three main types of potatoes: starchy, waxy and in-between. Within those types you can find all kinds of varieties, from creamy white and yellow options, to those with a deep purple hue. Of course, certain varieties work better for certain recipes.

• Starchy potatoes include your traditional baking varieties, and are often used for French fries, in soups and are sometimes thrown in with a roast.
• Waxy potatoes have a thin skin, but they hold their shape well. That makes them great for roasting and salads.
• As you probably guessed, in-between potatoes have a blend of both features!

You’ll find a large variety of potatoes, including locally grown spuds, at your neighborhood Food Town. It’s easy (and a lot of fun) to add new varieties to your dinner rotation now and then.

Cooking Potatoes
As we mentioned up above, certain potatoes lend themselves to certain recipes. Starchy potatoes are great for baked and mashed potato dishes because their high starch content absorbs butter and cream well, and the texture becomes soft and creamy when cooked. (YUM!) For potato salads and cold potato side dishes, try a waxy variety. Potatoes of any type can be roasted, fried, boiled with salt, or even microwaved for a quick and simple side dish. Add salt and butter, and you’ve got a tasty dinner side. It doesn’t need to be fancy to be a crowd-pleaser. Of course, a baked potato bar with options such as cheese, sour cream, chili and maybe even some barbecued meat options can make for a quick and easy meal everybody will love. We’ve gathered plenty of potato recipes on our Appetizers Aplenty Pinterest board, and you’ll find some great potato appetizer options on our website, too.  

This National Potato Month (or any time of the year!), try something new. We bring the best local potatoes to your local store, and we’re willing to bet you’ll find flavors you and your family will enjoy.