Hi there!

Spring has definitely sprung here in the hills in the Scottish borders. The raspberries, currants and, as you may have seen on The Cook’s Larder Instagram, asparagus are all bursting into life in the garden. It’s such an exciting time of year after a long winter! Although these beautiful crisp spring days are lovely, there is still a definite nip in the air and some protection is needed for the more tender plants, such as our spuds, on these frosty April mornings.

Potato

Mashed, roasted, baked or chipped, potatoes are a versatile staple that can be cooked in many ways. Native to what is now Peru, potatoes were introduced to the UK in the late 16th century, but it wasn't until a couple of hundred years later that they became beloved across the nation.

The humble spud comes in a huge range of varieties if you choose to grow your own, giving gardeners a choice of flavours and textures not available to shoppers. Most varieties are classified as either earlies (new potatoes) or maincrops, depending on how long the plant takes to get to harvest.

Potatoes are also a good source of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and iron. Additionally, they're low in sodium and cholesterol-free.

I grow almost all my potatoes in pots as they are easy to care for and easy to harvest. Place a seed potato into a large pot filled up to about halfway with compost then cover with more compost and water well. Once the potato plant gets to about 30cm (1 ft) fill the pot to the brim with compost and place it in a sunny spot keep the soil moist throughout the season but be careful not to overwater. If the leaves start to yellow before the end of the plant’s season that is a sure sign you have over-watered your potatoes. To fix this simply allow the soil to dry out a little and the plant to come back to a lovely vibrant green.

For best results store potatoes in sacks or nets in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry, cellar or in my case under the stairs. Do not store potatoes in the fridge, as the cold temperature can cause the starch in the potatoes to turn into sugar, resulting in a sweet and gritty texture when you come to eat them. Also keep potatoes away from onions and garlic, as they can cause the potatoes to sprout and spoil more quickly. If stored correctly your potatoes should keep for several months.

“French” style potato salad

A vinaigrette-dressed potato salad is great served warm and a healthier alternative to mayo-based potato salads. In this recipe I use parsley but almost any herb can be added to the potatoes, dill, tarragon, thyme or even a little mint would work great!

Makes: 6-8 servings

Cook time: 30 minutes

Equipment:

• Chefs knife

• Chopping board

• Saucepan

• Mixing bowl

• Whisk

• Colander

Ingredients:

• 1 kg new potatoes, halved

• 1 tbsp salt

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• ½ lemon, juiced

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• ½ tsp salt

• Pinch of sugar

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

• Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

Fill a large pan with water, add the tbsp of salt and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20-30 minutes until soft.

In a bowl add the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, ½ tsp salt and sugar and mix until fully incorporated. Slowly add the olive oil to the bowl, stirring constantly. Alternatively, you could pop all the vinaigrette ingredients into a jam jar, fasten the lid tightly and shake vigorously - same result, fewer dishes to clean!

Once the potatoes are cooked add to the vinaigrette with the spring onions and parsley, mix well then serve immediately.

Download recipe here

Gnocchi

An ideal little project to get the kids (or yourself) feeling like a pro! Made from three ingredients that most of us already have in our larder, Gnocchi is a great way to get everyone involved at dinnertime!

Makes: 4-6

Time: 1 hour

Equipment:

• Peeler

• Chefs knife

• Chopping board

• Saucepan

• Colander

• Mixer with dough hook

Ingredients:

• 1kg potatoes, peeled, chopped into large chunks

• 1 tbsp salt

• 375g ‘00’ flour

• 1 large egg yolk

Instructions:

Fill a large saucepan with water, add the salt, and bring to the boil. Cut the potatoes into halves or thirds if they are really big. This will allow the potatoes to cook but they will not soak up as much water, this, along with leaving the potatoes to dry for 5 minutes after cooking will give you a lighter fluffier gnocchi, add the potatoes and cook until soft, about 20-30 minutes. Drain potatoes and leave in the colander for 5 minutes to dry.

Once dry, mash the potatoes and then add them with the flour and egg yolk to the mixer (or alternatively you can knead by hand on a clean work surface) and knead until a smooth dough has formed.

Lightly flour your work surface and roll dough into snakes about 2 cm (½ inch) wide, then cut the gnocchi to about 3 cm (1 inch) long. To create the traditional ribbed effect, pinch and roll each dumpling down the back of a fork (or a gnocchi paddle if you’re a fancy pants). At this point, you can if you have too much or you are making it ahead of time, freeze the gnocchi. It will last 3-6 months in the freezer.

Cook gnocchi in a pan of salted boiling water until they rise to the surface, then remove, drain and serve.

For crispy gnocchi allow to drain on a tea towel for a couple of minutes then pan-fry in a hot frying pan for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Be patient with your gnocchi as trying to move it before it has crisped up could cause it stick to the pan ruining all your hard work! Serve immediately, Mangiamo!

Download recipe here

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend, please share The Cook’s Newsletter with family and friends. We’d also love to see your creations! Use #thecooksnewsletter on your socials and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section!

The Cook’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Happy cooking!

Stu