Potato gets its name from the Spanish word for it, Patata. Potato is a tuberous crop that is cultivated across the globe and has thousands of varieties. It originally comes from Peru, from where it became the staple crop of many countries.
Potato is relatively easy to grow and can easily adapt to diverse climate as long as the climate is cool and moist enough for the plants to gather sufficient water from the soil to form the starchy tubers. Potatoes are vulnerable to moulds and quickly rot.
The potato is a versatile vegetable and can match with many more vegetables and meats to make a delicious dish. Some of the international popular dishes are French fries, mash potato, shepherd’s pie, roasted potato or simply sautéed potato.
The potato is popular for its carbohydrate or the starch content. A small amount of this starch is not digested in stomach and small intestine and so reaches the large intestine essentially intact. This indigested starch acts as fibre and helps in better bowl movement. The potato rosti was initially a breakfast dish traditionally eaten by the Swiss farmers. Some people even consider this as a Swiss national dish.
Potato Rosti
Serves 2
Ingredients
Potato 500 gm
Clarified butter 4 tbsp
Oil 4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Crushed Black pepper to taste
Corn flour 2-3 tbsp
Cheddar cheese 50 gm
Method
Grate potato coarsely into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze the towel to remove excess moisture.
Season the potato with salt, crushed pepper and divide into equal portions.
Sprinkle some corn flour if the mixture is loose.
Flatten each portion to shape like round cutlet, you can also use a round chef’s ring to shape it round.
Heat equal quantity of butter and oil in a heavy bottom fry pan over medium heat.
Shallow fry the rosti for 3-4 minutes on each sides or until golden brown and tender all the way through.
You can also roast the prepared potato rosti in oven to make it more crispy without oil.
Serve hot grated with cheddar cheese on top.
Olives
Even though more attention is given sometimes to their oil rather than their whole fruit delights, olives are one of the world’s most widely enjoyed foods. The olives grow on Olea Europea tree which typically lives for hundreds of years.
Olives are too bitter to be eaten right off the tree and must be cured to reduce their bitterness. Processing methods vary with variety of olives, region where they are cultivated, and their desired taste, texture and colour.
Some varieties are picked unripe while some are allowed to fully ripen on the tree. The colour of an olive is not necessarily related to its state of maturity. Many olives start off green and turn black when fully ripe, some olives start off green and remain green when fully ripe, while others start black and remain black when fully ripe.
Numerous studies have been done on the health aspects of olives and the results are exciting for all olive lovers as olives contain dozen of health protective nutrients. The high monounsaturated fat content of olives has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Olive is one of the few food items with high fat content and good source of anti-oxidants and nutrients and fibre.
Olive Sticks
Ingredients
Green olives, seedless 1 cup
Black olives, seedless 1 cup
Cucumber 3-4 no
Feta cheese 100 gm
Wooden sticks (3-4 inch) 50 no
Method
Wash and cut the cucumber into half lengthwise and cut 1cm thick slices.
Cut the feta cheese carefully into 1cm cube and keep aside.
Pierce black and green olive in the wooden stick, followed by the feta cheese and cucumber slice in the last.
Repeat for the remaining ingredients and arrange in a platter.
Serve cold as an appetiser or finger food to your guests.
Olive Tapenade Canapés
Ingredients
Black olives 1 cup
Goat cheese 50 gm
Celery 1 stick
Baguette bread 1 no
Olive oil ½ cup
Romaine lettuce few leaves
Method
Thin slice the baguette bread and toast lightly to make it crisp.
Fine chop the black olives and drizzle some olive oil in it to make a tapenade, keep aside.
On each baguette slice place a small lettuce leaf.
Using two spoons shape the olive tapenade and place on the lettuce leaf.
Cut the goat cheese into small cubes and place a cube or two along the tapenade.
Cut the celery stick into thin matchstick size sticks.
Place each stick on the olive tapenade.
Serve cold as an appetiser or finger food to your guests.