Help! My CSA Overloaded Me With Potatoes Good Questions

Q: This summer, I signed up for organic CSA baskets for the first time. I've decided to continue getting baskets throughout the winter, because I'm trying to source my food more locally. However, I'm currently overloaded with potatoes. I've never been a huge eater of potatoes, so they accumulated throughout the summer months and now I'm receiving them in my winter basket. One of my fridge drawers is full of them and I have one full grocery bag above and beyond that.

I'm looking for recipes! I usually eat oven roasted potatoes for breakfast on the weekend and add potatoes to stews and soups. I'm not a big fan of mashed potatoes. I was able to freeze and can my way through other veggie gluts, but I'm at a loss with what to do with so many potatoes.

Sent by Liette

Editor: Liette, one suggestion is to grate, blanch, then freeze your potatoes. You can find more info on how to do that in this Good Question we published in September.

One other idea, since the holidays and the gift-giving season are upon us, is mashed potato candy. This sounds very, very strange, but it's actually a deliciously chewy little candy that recipients invariably love. Here's one recipe, and if you search around via Google you will find plenty more. Maybe a reader has a favorite family recipe for mashed potato candy?

Readers, what would you do with a glut of potatoes?

Have a good question? Email us!

(Image: Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan)

Posted originally from: TheKitchn

Comments (9)

Congratulations on supporting the local farmers!! Here are few suggestions....
potato pancakes - very satisfying and yummy with sour cream or apple sauce. Good basic recipe here http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/grated-potato-pancakes
Or how about gnocchi/pierogi. These are really easy to make - boil up first, then rice them (fine mash) mix with eggs, roll out, cut and pop in boiling water. They are a satisfying side dish, main dish or go well in soup. http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pierogi-dough
You can slice the potatoes into thinnish slices, put on baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, put in hot oven and you get a really great cross between french fries and chips. And you can stick one into soup to thicken it up.
Enjoy!

If you find yourself totally swimming in them you could also donate some to your local soup kitchen/homeless shelter or food pantry.

If you like Indian food there are lots of recipes that use potatoes. For example, I've used this recipe for Aloo Matar (definitely use ghee): http://www.syvum.com/cgi/online/serve.cgi/recipes/srcpv37.tdf?0

Greek Cheese and Potato Patties

1 1/4 pounds potatoes
4 ounces feta cheese
4 scallions, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
flour for dredging

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

Boil the potatoes in their skins in lightly salted water until soft. Drain and cool slightly, then peel while still warm. Place the cooked potatoes in a bowl and mash. Crumble the feta cheese into the potatoes and add the scallions, dill, lemon juice, and egg. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Stir well.

Cover the mixture and chill until firm. Divide the mixture into walnut-size balls, and then flatten them slightly. Dredge in the flour.

At this point, you can either put them on wax paper and freeze them for later, or you can go straight to the cooking. If you freeze them, just let them thaw a bit before cooking.

Heat 3 T olive oil in a pan, and fry potatoes until golden on each side. Place on paper towels to drain.

Season with salt and pepper, and serve warm.

I use brown rice flour to dredge, so that these are gluten free, and I don't bother to peel the potatoes. ... I also just deep fry them, sometimes.

I always use potatoes in a hash, we had that last night for dinner with the last of the leftover turkey. There are lots of recipes out there, I used the turkey (or chicken or beef), bacon, onions, carrots, stuffing, the potatoes; anything really, it's kind of like a stir-fry in that regard. Fry it all up in a pan and serve with a poached or fried egg on top. Hot sauce goes on top.

Food Junta has a potato and parsley soup that I *would* have made tonight had I not been so exhausted after getting back from work.

http://foodjunta.com/2009/12/04/potato-parsley-soup/

i buy a mixed bag of potatoes at my farmers market. I just cut them up into 1/2 inch "cubes" and with some evoo and salt and roast them in the oven for 45 minutes. They're so good and the mix of flavors and textures of the different potatoes together is fantastic!!

if i had a surplus of potatoes, i would make pierogies until my arms fell off and freeze them. they are one of the world's most perfectly freezable/thawable food.

one word: raggmunk! Swedish potato pancakes. If you went to swedish public school (and really, who didn't?) these wer probably the most popular lunch menu when they came around.

(NB: I picked the recipe below at random: the first link I found)

http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Lifestyle/Food-drink/Swedish-culinary-classics/Raggmunk/

You could also go italian with gnocci (I'm not a big fan).
I AM a huge fan of potato and leek soup, tho. That'll freeze like a champ.