When my sister got married in 1977, the rehearsal dinner was a backyard picnic. The mother of one of the groomsmen brought some great potatoes. (More)
Midday Matinee is our people watching, people doing and people being feature. Join the Woodland Creatures for an afternoon break.
We talked about those potatoes for weeks they were so tasty. Finally I got the name of the cook and the small town in central Minnesota where she lived. In the age before the internet calling someone with just that information was not as easy as it is today. Complicating things was the fact that her name was Harriet Johnson. Minnesota has a lot of Johnsons. I called information and asked for Harriet’s number. I didn’t know Harriet’s husband’s name. I also had the good fortune to actually speak with a human being who was located in the same town. Bonus! I explained to the operator that I had eaten some wonderful potatoes and needed Harriet’s number to get the recipe.
“Oh that Harriet,” the operator said. “She is famous for those potatoes. She’s been bringing them to potlucks for years.”
I reached Harriet who was shocked that someone would call long distance for a recipe. Long distance was expensive then and an event. She then gave me the recipe which I will share with you. The odd thing about these potatoes is that I have given out this recipe several times over the years. Inevitably I get a phone call back saying somehow their copy of the recipe looks like vague notes and surely they are missing something. I got a call from my oldest son last night wondering if he had all the directions. His next door neighbor wanted to bring them to Thanksgiving.
Harriet’s Potatoes:
Regular baking potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly. Salt and pepper. Put in a casserole dish so the potatoes are at least an inch and a half from the top of the dish. Fill with heavy cream to cover the potatoes. Bake at 350° for about an hour. Some times I have added a few chopped onions.
That’s it. That’s all the directions she gave me. We are so used to elaborate directions that good old fashioned potatoes are too simple to believe. It requires a phone call to be reassured that that’s all there is.
That is both a neat story, and a cute conclusion. Yes, we’ve come to expect things to be more complicated. Surely there must be something missing from that wonderful recipe.
Except that I see exactly how it works. Bless Harriet for sharing it with you. I bet you made her day with that long distance call. 🙂
Harriet’s reaction was more like, those cities folks. Imagine wasting a long distance call for a potato recipe! My sister told me this when they visited her in-laws. Harriet was nice to share the recipe but it is rich.
So, umm, how do I make a long distance phone call? I dial zero and then tell the operator I want person-to-person, or is it station-to-station? 😉
Thanks for sharing this, Linda! It’s very similar to my potatoes au gratin recipe. The only difference is that for potatoes au gratin, I would use a cheese sauce instead of the heavy cream. And like Harriet’s recipe, a cheese sauce is ridiculously simple:
That’s it. I also put the thinly-sliced potatoes and cheese sauce in a bowl and gently stir with a wooden spoon, to mix the sauce through the potatoes, before I put them in a casserole dish. And you can sprinkle extra cheese on top before baking if you want. But that’s optional.
Oh that sounds delicious! Yummy. I think potatoes have gotten a bit of a bad rap. I like them in moderation. 🙂
One of the “incredibly simple” dishes that is common around here is salt potatoes. I made them once for a picnic, and I was stunned to find out how many people had never heard of them. They’re traditional in central NY. 🙂
Alas, allrecipes.com and most other recipe sites are mobbed on the day before Thanksgiving. I’ll have to wait until later to look that up. But thanks for sharing it, Norbrook!
Basically, take 4 or 5 pounds of medium or small young potatoes (or any thin-skinned variety). Take a stock pot, put water in it, put a lot of salt in (about 12 ounces), heat to boiling. Yes, you’re making a brine. Drop the potatoes in, cook until tender. Drain, serve with butter.
The recipe just came up. Wow, simple indeed, and it sounds delicious! 🙂
That sounds great! Thanks and I saved the recipe to my files. I think, if I’m not going to an event I’d cut the portions. Yummy. Too bad it’s an hour or two until dinner time. 😉
It’s not hard to cut the portions, it’s basically “boil small potatoes in a brine.” Brine as concentrated brine, not “I added a couple of tablespoons.” 😉 Salt potatoes are, at least in CNY, one of the standard tailgate or cook-out items. You can even buy the “kit” in most grocery stores.