I Love Potatoes
February 13th, 2008
I love potatoes. Yes, my job requires me to love them but my affection started long before I even knew food public relations was a profession. It all began when I first tasted my Nonna’s gnocchi. She is the best cook I’ve ever known and has a special knack for the most tender “potato pillows” in the most delightful red sauce. I think gnocchi are so kid friendly because of the soft texture and sweet tomato broth. Her kind Calabrese nature must have had something to do with it, too.
While my palate for potatoes was proven early on, I didn’t know until recently how good they were for me. Potatoes are full of essential vitamins and minerals for 110 calories per 5.3-ounce serving. They are fat-, sodium-, and cholesterol-free, and potatoes provide nearly half the Daily Value of vitamin C, a potent antioxidant.
And, did you know, ounce per ounce, potatoes actually rank highest in potassium among the top 20 most frequently consumed raw vegetables and the 20 top most frequently consumed raw fruits? One serving of skin-on potatoes contains 620 mg of potassium, making it a good source of potassium. In fact, potatoes meet FDA requirements for the health claim, “consuming foods such as potatoes that are good sources of potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.”
So in honor of American Heart Month, I think I will make this gnocchi dish (of course my Nonna doesn’t follow a recipe!) from the U.S. Potato Board this Valentine’s Day for my two sweeties – my husband and our one year-old, Luke. He’s about the same age I was when I first fell in love with potatoes.
POTATO-CHEDDAR GNOCCHI WITH BACON & EGGS
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
10 ounces plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (2 large potatoes)
1/3 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon half-and-half
1 cup all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling gnocchi
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
4 poached eggs
8 bacon strips, cooked
Heat oven to 475°F. Quarter tomatoes; cut each quarter in half again. In bowl, toss tomatoes with oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Spread tomatoes in large, shallow baking dish in one layer. Roast in oven about 20 minutes or until soft and slightly browned.
To make gnocchi, steam potatoes over boiling water, covered, about 15 minutes or until tender. Transfer to bowl; mash with potato masher. Cool slightly; gently mix in cheese, egg, half-and-half and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Add flour, one-third cup at a time, mixing gently after each addition. If dough is sticky, add a bit more flour. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. On floured surface, roll each piece into a 1-inch–diameter rope; flatten slightly and cut into 16 gnocchi. Transfer gnocchi to baking sheet lined with lightly floured towel; cover with another towel. (Gnocchi may be made several hours ahead and refrigerated until needed.)
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add gnocchi; boil about 5 minutes or until cooked through. With skimmer, transfer gnocchi to mixing bowl; add tomatoes and basil. Toss gently; divide among 4 plates or shallow bowls. Place 1 poached egg on top of each serving of gnocchi; garnish with 2 strips bacon.
Serves 4
Happy Chinese New Year, Potato Lovers!
February 7th, 2008 
Potatoes in Chinese food? Most people understandably think of rice as the starch of choice in Asian cuisine, but potatoes are coming on strong. In fact, according to the United Nations website, www.potato2008.com*, China is the world’s biggest potato producer, with output in 2006 of 70.3 million tons (or more than 20 percent of the global harvest).
The tuber probably reached coastal China aboard ships from Europe during the 17th century and was introduced to central China by Russian traders around the same time. Production has increased nearly fivefold since 1961. Most of the potatoes grown in China are eaten by humans - each year, the Chinese consume 30 kg per head.
The potato is important to China not only as a staple food, but also as a source of income, especially for farmers in mountainous areas with poor soils. In northern China’s Inner Mongolia and Shanxi provinces, sales of potatoes account for more than half of rural household earnings.
So, in honor of the growing appreciation in China for potatoes, why not ring in the Chinese New Year, the most important celebration on the Chinese calendar, with potatoes?
Aside from tasting great and being easy to prepare, the potato is good for you, too. One medium-sized potato contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol, and has110 calories. It provides 45 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C. In addition, potatoes with skins contain 18% of the DV of potassium, topping the list of the 20 most frequently consumed raw fruits and vegetables.
In order to celebrate the New Year, try this authentic Chinese recipe for “Red Cooking Pork and Potatoes,” created by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, authors of The Ultimate Potato Book.
“Red cooking” is a traditional Chinese braise, a stew made with soy sauce, sherry, and stock. It’s named for the way old-fashioned, unfiltered soy sauce can take on a reddish cast when long-stewed, something modern soy sauces rarely achieve—unless you’ve gone to Chinatown and bought a bottle of heavy, deep soy sauce. In any event, this is a homey dish, very warm and comforting, a bright aromatic spark for a chilly evening.
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 tablespoons dry sherry
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/4 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 pounds very small yellow-fleshed potatoes, halved
9 medium scallions, cut into 2-inch strips
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
3 garlic cloves, slivered
3 star anise pods
Three 4-inch cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, mustard greens, or turnip greens, rinsed (but not dried) and chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Stir the broth, soy sauce, ginger, sherry, orange zest, and honey in a large pot until the honey dissolves. Add the pork, potatoes, scallions, chiles, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon sticks. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer slowly until the pork is meltingly tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, stir all these ingredients in a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low about 8 to 9 hours.)
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the greens and vinegar. Cover, reduce heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cover and keep warm on the stove.
To serve, first discard the star anise pods and cinnamon sticks. Divide the greens among serving bowls, then ladle the stew over the greens.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 424 calories; 10 g fat; 110 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 44 g protein; 846 mg sodium; 1239 mg potassium; 82 mg vitamin C.
*This web site link is provided as a convenience. The USPB is not responsible for the accuracy, quality, safety, or nature of the content of the linked site.
Pierce and Potatoes
February 4th, 2008
Images courtesy of Bon Appetit, February 2008.
You may know that he saved the world as James Bond, but did you know that Pierce Brosnan can’t seem to go a day without potatoes? According to an interview in the February 2008 issue of Bon Appetit, the Irish-born actor “could eat them every single night of the week.”
When asked by Bon Appetit’s Bekah Wright if he had any other favorite foods, Brosnan responded, “ Potatoes – baked, mashed, roasted, boiled or fried with cold sliced tomatoes. I can’t live without a good potato. And Irish (potato) soda bread, hot from the oven.”
You may be thinking, ‘what exactly is Irish potato bread?’ Check back with us regularly and you may find out just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!
See what others are saying about Brosnan’s love affair with potatoes:
Super Spuds for the Super Bowl
January 29th, 2008
Whether you’re a die hard fan of the New York Giants or you grew up rooting for the New England Patriots, we can all agree that (other than the game) the most important part of Super Bowl Sunday is the food. Nothing pairs better with good old American football than America’s favorite vegetable – the potato!
These recipes are sure to score with guests of all ages and team loyalties – in fact delicious spuds may be the ONLY thing we can all agree on come Super Bowl Sunday!
(Click on the images below for recipe details.)
Cheesy Potato Skins with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Healthy Potato Meals with International Flair
January 24th, 2008By Amy Kull 
In honor of the United Nations’ declaration that 2008 is the International Year of the Potato, we asked two of our favorite food experts, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, authors of The Ultimate Potato Book, to share some of their favorite authentic potato dishes from around the world. Share they did, assisted by 12 fifth-grade students from the United Nations International School (UNIS) in Manhattan, with television and radio audiences throughout the U.S. during a satellite media tour last week.
A satellite media tour allows spokespeople to conduct interviews with TV and radio stations around the country from one location. We were fortunate enough to work with the terrific folks at UNIS to transmit our interviews from their impressive library. Students with a wide array of cultural backgrounds assisted Bruce and Mark with demonstrating how to make Kootu Curry, a vegetarian main dish featuring potatoes, green beans, eggplant, and chickpeas flavored with curry and toasted coconut.
Also shown were Potato Ceviche from Peru, a Chinese Red Pork and Potato Stew and Irish Potato Bread. Recipes for these dishes can be found at www.potatogoodness.com.
The students and cookbook authors responded to lots of potato-related questions from television news anchors and radio DJs in about 18 states. The biggest question was, “Why did the UN bestow this honor on the potato?” Most were surprised to learn how important the potato can be in relieving world hunger due to the relative ease with which it can be grown and because of its positive nutrition profile. Specifically named by Bruce and Mark was the fact that potatoes are fat-, sodium-, and cholesterol-free, and one medium-sized (5.3 ounce) potato contains 45% of the Daily Value of vitamin C. With skins, potatoes are a good source of potassium and a contain 8% of the Daily Value of fiber. They also provide critically important complex carbohydrates, the body’s most efficient fuel source.
Bring the flavors of the world to your house tonight and try one of Bruce and Mark’s authentic international potato dishes. Happy International Year of the Potato to you!
Potato Industry Launches New Campaign
January 17th, 2008By Bart Connors 
Over the last few years, all the negative publicity surrounding potatoes had even growers starting to doubt if potatoes fit into a healthy lifestyle, but it looks like things are about to change. The potato industry is launching a major new campaign both to communicate the potato’s nutritional value and to remind consumers how much they love them.
After seeing all of the work and research that went into the creation of our new Nutrition Campaign, I am totally excited. I hope consumers agree that “Potatoes . . . Goodness Unearthed™” is a message that not only gives them confidence in the nutritional value of the potato but also gives a sense of the emotional ways in which potatoes enrich our lives. I think this message communicates what both growers and consumers have in common - we all are looking for healthy, wholesome food for our families and ourselves.
So, now that we have this new message, what do we do?
Happy International Year of the Potato!
January 7th, 2008In honor of 2008, which has been declared “International Year of the Potato” by the United Nations, here is a recipe with international flare that is sure to start your year off on a healthful foot!
For more information on the International Year of the Potato, visit www.potato2008.org.
Peruvian Ceviche with Potatoes, Halibut and Mango
(Recipe created by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough)
Peru may well have been the birthplace of America’s favorite vegetable. Certainly one of the favorite ways to eat potatoes in Peru is in ceviche: a fresh, light mélange of fish marinated in lime juice with loads of aromatics and vegetables. Serve this refreshing lunch or first-course starter in lettuce cups, or scoop it up on baked tortilla chips.
1 pound white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 pound skinned halibut, black bass, striped bass, or tilefish, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup halved, thinly sliced red onion
1 small fresh jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes; boil for 5 minutes.
Add the corn and boil until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander set in the sink, place in a large non-reactive bowl (see note), and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Add the fish, mango, onion, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper; toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours, tossing occasionally. Serve in lettuce cups, or with baked tortilla chips.
Note: A nonreactive bowl is one that will not form harmful chemical compounds when acid (as in the lime juice here) touches its surface. Nonreactive materials include heat-safe glass, stainless steel, enameled iron, or enameled steel. Reactive cookware is made of tin, copper, and non-anodized aluminum; certain dyes and chemicals in decorative glass and pottery are also reactive.
Makes 6 servings
Celebrating the Power of Healthy MR. POTATO HEAD™
December 19th, 2007
School assemblies thrill kids of every age!
Picture this: a gym-full of elementary school-age students, anticipating the arrival the legendary Healthy MR. POTATO HEAD character. The excitement builds when “Jumpin’ Jules” and “Awesome Allen,” the famed spud’s energy-packed partners, pop onto stage and rev up the crowd. Now, imagine the shrieks of delight when Healthy MR. POTATO HEAD dances onto the stage, beginning a 30-minute, interactive, Radio Disney produced “Potato Power Rockin’ Recess” school assembly.
I know my description doesn’t do justice to the in-person experience. I mean, I was there last week - and my ears are still ringing. The last in a three year-long series of school assemblies held across the United States was performed on December 14 at Chinook Trail Elementary in Colorado Springs, CO. The month prior we were at Woodrow Wilson Elementary in West Allis, a suburb of Milwaukee, WI.
The star of the show is definitely the potato industry’s “spokespud,” and, under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, Healthy MR. POTATO HEAD has an important mission in mind. Donning sneakers, a baseball cap, and carrying a water bottle, he wants kids, teachers, and parents to know that the potatoes they love are full of essential vitamins and minerals, providing the nutrients needed to get up and get fit!
So, students learned new nutrition vocabulary words like potassium, fiber and vitamin C. The teachers danced - some even on stage! The kids grooved to the Potato Power Dance. Prizes were awarded for good answers. Plus, we discovered kids can automatically tell you a half-dozen ways to eat potatoes…and they love them! So, Mom, how about serving potatoes tonight???
As I mentioned, the Potato Power Rockin’ Recess was performed in six other cities across the country: San Jose, Denver, Atlanta, Harrisburg, St. Louis and Grafton. The idea behind the school assembly series was to tie it to a larger nutrition campaign, one launched during the 2005 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, when Healthy MR. POTATO HEAD sprinted down the streets of NY for the first time as a giant balloon. This Thanksgiving, which my fellow blogger, Cheryl Koompin, wrote about earlier this month, was the balloon’s final parade appearance, yet he will still help usher in 2008 as the International Year of the Potato, as designated by the United Nations. It’s been a delight to promote a character that communicates nutrition in a way that resonates with so many people in all stages of life.
Before I sign off, I really want to make sure my state potato organization colleagues (friends!) know how much I truly appreciate their help this year in making their state assemblies successful. The USPB partnered with the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association and the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, which all provided promotional and educational materials to all the students and classrooms. This way, students, parents and teachers have reminders that the nutrition-packed potato was proudly grown in their own state.
Lightened Up Latkes
December 13th, 2007 
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 12 to 16 minutes total
2 1/2 cups shredded, unpeeled russet potatoes (about 1 lb.)
1/2 cup grated onion
1/3 cup peeled shredded carrot
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 egg + 1 egg white
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Scrub potatoes and coarsely grate. Immediately place in a bowl of ice water to keep potatoes from discoloring; let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the onion, carrot, flour, chives, salt, pepper and eggs in a medium bowl and stir well.
Drain the potatoes and squeeze out moisture; stir into egg mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Spoon about 1/4 cup of potato mixture for each pancake into skillet, cooking 4 at a time.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, flattening with the back of a spatula and cooking until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining oil and potatoes. Serve immediately with chunky applesauce and low-fat sour cream.
Makes 4 servings.
Hello from Idaho!
December 7th, 2007
I’m Cheryl Koompin, current Co-Chair of the United States Potato Board’s (USPB) International Marketing Committee. This Thanksgiving, I put on a different hat—in fact it was a knit, neon green hat that I wore as I walked down the streets of New York, holding on to a bar that anchored the Healthy Mr. Potato Head Balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
Above: Healthy Mr. Potato Head himself, as he makes his final appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
My husband, Klaren, and I want to say thank you to the potato industry, as it was a privilege to represent the USPB as balloon handlers– how exciting this was! Country spud visits city spud during the holidays! NBC, CBS, ABC and dozens of other television crews were tucked into the 3.5 million folks crowding the famous three mile parade route, and when our balloon showed up, potato nutrition took center stage. (Take a look at the “HMPH Balloon Handler” experience here.)
Above: Klaren and Cheryl Koompin
What fun it was to experience the Big Apple while walking under the Big Potato on Thanksgiving morning! Groups of folks shouted from the sidelines, “WE LOVE POTATOES!” Music to all of our ears was: “I love you Mr. Potato Head!” And who could forget the balloon-captain-inspired banters of thousands of voices, one side of the street yelling: “POTATO!” and the other yelling: “POWER!” or “You say Potato!” and the other yelling: “I say Potaaato!” Back and forth, back and forth. Simply incredible!
Above: The Koompin Family
I smile recalling it. It was truly emotional to be with the other potato industry folks marching along Broadway and 34th streets, up REALLY close to so many smiling faces and waving hands in support of Healthy MR. POTATO HEAD. Thank you, thank you, from me and Klaren for this great experience!! And thank you for an opportunity to travel with our two grown sons touring this old, historical American city and sharing the experience with other potato industry folks.
Contributors
- Larry Alsum
Wisconsin potato grower
- Bart Connors
Washington potato grower
- Cheryl Koompin
Idaho potato grower
- Tim O'Connor
USPB staff
- Linda McCashion
USPB staff
- Meredith Myers
USPB staff
- David Fairbourn
USPB staff
- Amy Kull
PR consultant
- Kris Caputo Hurley
PR consultant
- Brittany Mohr
PR Consultant
- Katherine Beals, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.S.C.M.
Nutrition consultant
- Tim Straus
Innovation consultant