The all purpose Desiree potato dug todayThis heatwave is limiting gardening activities to early morning and evening only. So I dug the last of my potato crop this evening, barefoot and clad in a pair of old boxer shorts. Luckily I didn't spear my toes with the garden fork . This potato variety was bred in the Netherlands in 1962 and has a slightly yellow waxy flesh. It is a nice flat oval shape with very smooth pink skin and not prone to turning into an underground giant like the Pontiac. All novice vegetable gardeners should plant a crop of potatoes in a newly prepared site . They are great at breaking up heavy or clay soils and if you have mulched the bed with pea straw, the earthworm activity when you dig the crop is tremendous. Tomorrow, before the predicted 41C heat, I will dig in some compost and plant some bean and sweet corn seed.
When the heat is on, I usually head to the ocean or a pool but today I found myself in the dreaded shopping mall, which was abuzz with noisy pre-Christmas clamour. What caught my eye was a new food and travel book called MoVida Rustica ,Spanish Traditions and Recipes by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish. Included is a recipe for a Summer potato salad, Ensalada Campera, in which 'roughly cut boiled potatoes, ripe tomatoes,onions,olives ,a tin of Tuna and a little egg' are combined 'to make a great lunch on a hot day'..... sounds perfect for tomorrow with a little jazz from Miles Davis 'Sketches of Spain'
When the heat is on, I usually head to the ocean or a pool but today I found myself in the dreaded shopping mall, which was abuzz with noisy pre-Christmas clamour. What caught my eye was a new food and travel book called MoVida Rustica ,Spanish Traditions and Recipes by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish. Included is a recipe for a Summer potato salad, Ensalada Campera, in which 'roughly cut boiled potatoes, ripe tomatoes,onions,olives ,a tin of Tuna and a little egg' are combined 'to make a great lunch on a hot day'..... sounds perfect for tomorrow with a little jazz from Miles Davis 'Sketches of Spain'
Good looking potatoes, do they taste pretty good? Never heard of them here in the southeastern US.
ReplyDeleteA little Miles Davis, the summer potato salad and a pitcher of cooled Sangria sounds like a great way to relax barefooted on a warm Sunday afternoon. Have fun!
ReplyDelete"Desiree" already is a great potato cultivar; the best in our view is "Nicola", a yellow waxy & highly aromatic potato that is to die for with asparagus and smoked ham or smoked salmon (or both). Yumm !
ReplyDeleteI watch the BBC UK show Gardeners' World on YouTube and this week they had these terrific potato grow bags which I would like to get my hands on.
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