Day 13: Potato Flowers

Antoine-Augustin de Parmentier (1737-1813) pictured, was an early promoter of the potato in France, at a time when potatoes were looked upon with great suspicion considered then only as animal food.

As an eminent physician who wanted to introduce the potato into the French diet, he decided that the best way to break through the prejudice was to recruit the good offices of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.

If they made the potato fashionable, the rest of society would follow suit; and follow they did.

Parmentier finally got his lucky break when, on Louis XVI’s thirty-fifth birthday (August 23, 1785), Parmentier presented the king with a bouquet of potato flowers.

The king tucked one in his lapel, and his wife, Marie Antoinette, stuck a potato flower into her hair.

Suddenly potatoes became all the rage at court, and Parmentier oversaw a series of all-potato banquets.

Louis XVI immediately grasped the potato’s potential as a basic food that could make all the difference when wheat crops were jeopardised by disease or bad weather.

By the end of the 18th century, the potato was a firmly established and popular part of French cuisine.

Marie Antoinette probably never said “Let them eat cake” when she was told that poor French folk had no bread to eat.

But the French queen definitely thought they should eat potatoes, which, in the late 18th century, were hailed as a wonder food from the New World.

In 1785, famine struck northern France, but the poor were able to survive, thanks to the lowly potato.

The death of many by starvation had been avoided.

Today’s variety - Linda (Maincrop)

Linda is an old main crop variety from Germany which was saved from extinction and re-instated because the taste was so good.

Linda has an unusual oval shape with yellow waxy flesh

Good for gratins and oven bakes with a very good flavour.

Waxy becoming floury on storage.

About my January Potato Journey

I am trying to build up my horticulture knowledge, all views are my own and are intended to be in a positive spirit.

I am a member of Nottingham Organic Gardeners (NOGs)

The daily posts are hoped to feature varieties which are likely to be part of Nottingham Organic Gardeners’ Potato Day and some fun potato trivia.

Also to be my celebration of the potato and Nottingham Organic Gardeners Potato Day.

More information at

http://nottinghamorganicgardeners.com/potato-day-info

The text below is from the Nottingham Organic Gardeners’

“DUE TO LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCEMENT..

We are still definitely planning to bring potato day to you in some manner!

We have placed the order for the potatoes!

When we have them delivered and how we will get them to you will be planned soon!"

Day 12: The Irish Potato Famine

The Irish Potato Famine, also known as the Great Hunger occurred between 1845-1849 when the potato crop failed in successive years.

The crop failures were caused by late blight, a disease that destroys the leaves and tubers of the potato plant.

The famine occured when the fungus-like organism called Phytophthora infestans spread rapidly throughout Ireland.

The infestation ruined up to one-half of the potato crop in 1845, and about three-quarters of the crop over the next seven years.

Because the tenant farmers of Ireland relied heavily on the potato as a source of food, the infestation had a catastrophic impact on Ireland and its population.

The famine was a watershed moment in the history of Ireland which was ruled directly by Westminster as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801 to 1922.

The famine and its effects permanently changed the island's demographic, political, and cultural landscape, producing an estimated 2 million refugees and spurring a century-long population decline.

Before it ended in 1852, the Irish Potato Famine resulted in the death of roughly one million from starvation and related causes.

Today’s variety - Kingsman (Maincrop)

New to the market in 2017.

This early maincrop produces excellent yields and has good disease resistance.

The oval tubers have a pale-yellow colour and an excellent flavour.

The creamy floury flesh is perfect for making chips but is equally good roasted, baked and boiled – a wonderful all-rounder!

About my January Potato Journey

I am trying to build up my horticulture knowledge, all views are my own and are intended to be in a positive spirit.

I am a member of Nottingham Organic Gardeners (NOGs)

The daily posts are hoped to feature varieties which are likely to be part of Nottingham Organic Gardeners’ Potato Day and some fun potato trivia.

Also to be my celebration of the potato and Nottingham Organic Gardeners Potato Day.

More information at

http://nottinghamorganicgardeners.com/potato-day-info

The text below is from the Nottingham Organic Gardeners’

“DUE TO LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCEMENT..

We are still definitely planning to bring potato day to you in some manner!

We have placed the order for the potatoes!

When we have them delivered and how we will get them to you will be planned soon!"

Day 11: Spud guns

This weapon of vegetation decimation is a small toy gun used to fire a fragment of potato.

Perfect for some ‘old fashioned fun’, one punctures the surface of a potato with the gun's hollow tip and pries out a small pellet which fits in the muzzle.

Squeezing the grip causes a small build-up of air pressure inside the toy which propels the projectile.

The devices are usually short-range and low-powered.

Today’s variety - King Edward (Maincrop)

An English potato introduced in 1902.

The oval tubers have attractive red eyes.

The creamy white flesh has a light, floury texture and rarely discolours on cooking.

A popular and well-loved late main-crop variety with good resistance to scab and slugs

An iconic for roasts & mash with excellent flavour.

Floury, so boil or steam with care.

About my January Potato Journey

I am trying to build up my horticulture knowledge, all views are my own and are intended to be in a positive spirit.

I am a member of Nottingham Organic Gardeners (NOGs)

The daily posts are hoped to feature varieties which are likely to be part of Nottingham Organic Gardeners’ Potato Day and some fun potato trivia.

Also to be my celebration of the potato and Nottingham Organic Gardeners Potato Day.

More information at

http://nottinghamorganicgardeners.com/potato-day-info

The text below is from the Nottingham Organic Gardeners’

“DUE TO LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCEMENT..

We are still definitely planning to bring potato day to you in some manner!

We have placed the order for the potatoes!

When we have them delivered and how we will get them to you will be planned soon!"

Day 10: Smash

Smash is a brand of Instant mashed potatoes in the United Kingdom.

It was launched in the United Kingdom in the 1960s by Cadbury, which was primarily a manufacturer of confectionery at the time. Smash was reasonably successful.

However, it was not until 1974 that Smash became popular in the convenience food market after Cadbury launched an advertising campaign featuring the Smash Martians, a family of Martian robots who would watch humans preparing mashed potato the traditional way on television instead of using potato granules, and laugh at them.

The adverts of 1970s and the catchphrase, ‘for mash get Smash', were voted television advert of the century by the trade magazine Campaign.

The adverts featured the Smash Martians chortling as they heard how the "Earth people" peeled their own potatoes, "boiled them for 20 of their minutes" then "smashed them all to bits" - instead of using Smash instant mash.

Smash continues to be popular in the UK, selling 140 million servings a year.

Today’s variety - Kestrel (2nd early)

A Scottish variety introduced in 1992, a good exhibition potato because of its consistency size and colour.

Attractive smooth skins and violet eyes.

A decent all-rounder. Semi- waxy, good roasts and chips with an ‘old-fashioned’ taste.

About my January Potato Journey

I am trying to build up my horticulture knowledge, all views are my own and are intended to be in a positive spirit.

I am a member of Nottingham Organic Gardeners (NOGs)

The daily posts are hoped to feature varieties which are likely to be part of Nottingham Organic Gardeners’ Potato Day and some fun potato trivia.

Also to be my celebration of the potato and Nottingham Organic Gardeners Potato Day.

More information at

http://nottinghamorganicgardeners.com/potato-day-info

The text below is from the Nottingham Organic Gardeners’

“DUE TO LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCEMENT..

We are still definitely planning to bring potato day to you in some manner!

We have placed the order for the potatoes!

When we have them delivered and how we will get them to you will be planned soon!"

Day 9: Potato Peel Pie

A daily post of potato trivia introducing a potato variety a day.

A World War 2 recipe and the title of the film ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society’

Food was a huge problem throughout the occupation of Guernsey, as the island was eventually cut off completely from any mainland supplies.

There was precious little to feed the local residents, German soldiers and European labourers alike.

As a result, the day-to-day lives of islanders revolved around queuing for the restricted food supplies.

The potato peel pie is a true occupation recipe which made the most of the limited ingredients available.

The classic potato peel pie is made of potatoes, potato peels for the crust, a beet, and a teeny tiny bit of milk.

In the film and book four friends are stopped by soldiers for breaching curfew during the German occupation. To avoid arrest, they say they were returning from a meeting of their book club, hastily named "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society".

The WWII recipe for potato peel pie is online with different modern twists to make it more edible.

Today’s variety - Jazzy (2nd early)

A new premium salad variety, bursting with flavour!

Lots of tasty small potatoes that are suitable for steaming, boiling, crushing and even roasting

RHS Award of Garden Merit winner.

About my January Potato Journey

I am trying to build up my horticulture knowledge, all views are my own and are intended to be in a positive spirit.

I am a member of Nottingham Organic Gardeners (NOGs)

The daily posts are hoped to feature varieties which are likely to be part of Nottingham Organic Gardeners’ Potato Day and some fun potato trivia.

Also to be my celebration of the potato and Nottingham Organic Gardeners Potato Day.

More information at

http://nottinghamorganicgardeners.com/potato-day-info

The text below is from the Nottingham Organic Gardeners’

“DUE TO LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCEMENT..

We are still definitely planning to bring potato day to you in some manner!

We have placed the order for the potatoes!

When we have them delivered and how we will get them to you will be planned soon!"