Stirring the Pot: Potayto, Potahto
What is your perspective on the potato? Do you boil them? Mash them? Dare I say, put them in a stew? What if you prepared them in an entirely unfamiliar way? Ruthie Cohen stirs the pot with her own reflections on familiarity, and trying something new. Read the story. [https://limestonepostmagazine.c
“Halleluiah, anyway I'm not where I started!”
—Mary Oliver
When my brother and I were little, we couldn’t get enough of French’s Instant Mashed Potatoes. Ah, the comforting box on the shelf with its dehydrated sawdust-like flakes. Nothing beat instant mashies. All you had to do was add hot water and margarine and stir until the flakes achieved the consistency of wallpaper paste. A dinner delight, indeed.
On evenings when our mother served actual baked potatoes in their jackets, we were inconsolable. Ugh, those lumps.
And so, you probably know where this is heading. I grew up. Got curious. Traveled. Tried things that were new to me. Developed an interest in food, spices, heat, texture. I looked around.
What I was spoon-fed limited me. There were other narratives out there. (Obviously, we are now embarking on a trip beyond the culinary, dear Reader. Hang on!) I could change my mind, explore divergent paths, create a new narrative. I would learn to look at the world and my place in it differently.
And that’s how I try to live. Spending more time listening than talking. Spending more time stirring and chopping than pontificating. Staying open. Softening, not calcifying. Reading. Honoring the past, but not being dragged down by it.
So goodbye instant mashies! This kid has grown up!
POTATO ZUCCHINI BAKE
This lovely recipe is adapted from a tian by chef and author Gabrielle Hamilton. It graced the Sunday lunch table of her former Italian mother-in-law in Puglia. Make it ahead of time and serve at room temperature.
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 large potatoes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Additional olive oil
1 large onion
3 medium zucchinis
12 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup panko crumbs
Set a cast iron skillet on the burner over low heat. Add olive oil.
While oil heats, peel and slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch discs. Arrange a third in a single layer over the oil and keep the pan on the burner as you continue to layer. Add a second layer (one third) of potatoes over the first. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover to steam while you slice the onion.
Peel the onion and slice in thin rings, 1/4–1/2 inch thick. Generously layer half of the rings over the potatoes, add salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Recover the pot and prepare the zucchini.
Slice zucchini into 1/2 inch coins and layer half of them shingle-like in a concentric circle over the onions. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Place the final layer of potatoes over the zucchini. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Add the remaining onions and the final layer of zucchini. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover and let steam.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cut the tomatoes lengthwise in half. Place them decoratively around the top of the zucchini. Sprinkle the panko crumbs over the top. Season with salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes. Placing a sheet pan underneath the skillet will catch possible spills.
Remove from the oven. While you might be tempted to dig in right away, the dish is enhanced if you let it sit for a bit, at least for 15 minutes, preferably an hour.
Note: The simplicity of this dish (albeit not the time it takes to assemble it) is beguiling. It also provides you with a canvas to experiment with additional spices between the layers, if you wish. Think oregano, tarragon, ground garlic, and rosemary or pre-blended Italian, Greek, or French mixes.
