Smashed Red Skinned Potatoes

This past weekend we harvested 38 red skinned potatoes from 10 plants out of the garden. 

Each and everyone perfect!  Here’s what we did with them.

Smashed Red Skinned Potatoes

8 medium size red skinned potatoes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

2 –3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

 Wash potatoes.  Do not peel.  Cut in half  or quarters so all are about the same size and boil till tender. (Approximately 20 minutes.)  Carefully dip out a cup or two of the cooking water that you boiled the potatoes in a heat proof cup (like Pyrex) and set aside for later.  Test potatoes to make sure they are tender and drain in a colander. Leave the potatoes in the colander.  In the empty pot you boiled the potatoes in, add the olive oil and butter and stir till the butter is melted.  Add the garlic and sauté until garlic is tender but be careful not to burn the garlic.   Add the potatoes and mix with the butter/oil and garlic.  Take a potato masher and roughly mash the potatoes together.  You want them to be smashed, mashed and lumpy with bits of the red skins mixed throughout.  If they are too thick, use some of the reserved potato water to thin them out. Add the potato water in small amounts until they are the consistency you like.  Gently mix in the Parmesan.  Do not whip these or else you will end up with “gluey” potatoes.  Mix in the salt and pepper and serve.  Serves 6

I put (optional) next to the Parmesan cheese because even though I usually include it, I forgot to add it to this time and everyone still raved about how good the potatoes tasted.  So, add it if you have it but don’t let that stop you from making them if you don’t.  I served them alongside Grilled Rib Eye Steaks and a Tomato Caprese  salad and that was one very delicious end to our weekend!