Whether you call them potatoes, spuds, or taters, to my way of thinking they are the ultimate comfort food. The texture of these luscious tubers varies; some are flaky and others are waxy, some landing somewhere in between. Varieties include a wide assortment of colors, shapes, and sizes, all of which are appealing. All have rich, earthy flavor profiles.

According to the 2022 Farmer’s Almanac, the average American eats 124 pounds of potatoes each year. That’s double the amount of the next largest consumed vegetable. But indeed, is the humble potato a vegetable?

According to botanists, potatoes are vegetables. But the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is considering reclassifying spuds from veggie to grain. Imagine.

Here are three delicious, potato-centric dishes that showcase different varieties of spuds.

A recipe for Tartiflette, a potato, bacon and cheese dish served at chalet restaurants on French ski slopes, is taken from Diana Henry’s cookbook, “Roast Figs, Sugar Snow.” (Photo by Jason Lowe)

Tartiflette

In her new cookbook, “Roast Figs, Sugar Snow” (Aster), author Diana Henry reveals her favorite dish from the chalet restaurants that dot the French ski slopes. It’s a potato dish called tartiflette, a wonder that teams waxy red potatoes with bacon or pancetta, onion, and garlic, plus cheese and crème fraiche. The traditional accompaniments are charcuterie, cornichons, and pickled onions. The author says that you can leave out the bacon if you wish. Either way, a simple green salad is a good foil for the richness.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds large red potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/4 cups chunky bacon lardons (cross-sliced thick-cut bacon, each little strip about 1/4-by-1 inch), or diced pancetta

1 yellow (brown) onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed, peeled

12 ounces Reblochon cheese, or substitute Fontina or Port Salut

5 tablespoons crème fraiche

Cook’s notes: The author suggests baking the dish in a shallow baking dish, advice I won’t argue with. But I think it’s easier to use the ovenproof skillet for baking the dish; in step number 2, slide the sauteed potatoes off onto a large plate or rimmed baking sheet to rest while the lardons and garlic are cooked in the skillet, and the potatoes slid back at the end of step 3. The whole shebang can be baked in that original ovenproof skillet. Your choice.

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water to cover, cooking until just tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, slice them 1/4-inch thick. You can peel them before slicing if you wish, but it’s optional.

2. In a large, deep skillet, on medium-high place half of the butter and oil. Add potatoes and cook until golden, tossing occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to shallow, ovenproof dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Heat the remaining butter and oil in the same skillet. Cook the lardons on medium-high heat until starting to brown. Add garlic and cook until garlic softens, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes. Add mixture to potatoes in the ovenproof dish and gently toss.

4. Trim rind from cheese if present. Cut into slices. Dot potatoes with small spoonfuls of crème fraiche and cover with cheese slices. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes; the cheese should be melted and bubbling. Serve.

Source: “Roast Figs, Sugar Snow” by Diana Henry (Aster)

This version of Potatoes O’Brien featurs green, yellow and red bell peppers. (Photo by Nick Koon)

Potatoes O’Brien

I love this version of Potatoes O’Brien. It’s rich in bell peppers, utilizing three color choices. Yukon Gold potatoes or Dutch Yellow potatoes have the perfect texture for the dish; when sauteed, they crisp to a golden brown without falling apart. Turn this side dish into a one-dish meal by topping each serving with a fried egg or poached egg.

For a meatless version, omit the bacon. Start with step 2, using 3 tablespoons canola oil instead of bacon grease. If desired, top the finished dish with cooked and chopped vegetarian bacon.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 slices thick-cut bacon

1 pound Baby Dutch Yellow potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/3 cup cored, seeded, diced green bell pepper

1/3 cup cored, seeded, diced yellow bell pepper

1/3 cup cored seeded, diced red bell pepper

1 medium-sized sweet onion, diced

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional garnish: minced fresh Italian parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook bacon in large, deep skillet until crisp; remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels, reserving about 3 tablespoons grease in pan.

2. Heat reserved grease on medium-high heat. Add potatoes, bell peppers, onion, and garlic; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and nicely browned. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Crumble bacon and add to the potato mixture. Cook to heat bacon, about 1 minute. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Source: “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce” by Cathy Thomas (Wiley)

Chef Jamie Oliver’s version of potato salad pairs the spuds with a topping of crunchy vegetables topped with feta cheese. (Photo by Curt Norris)

Roasted Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes and Pickle Salad

I’m a longtime fan of potato salads napped with vinaigrette. Chef Jamie Oliver’s spud salad is over-the-moon delicious, teaming crisp spuds with a topping of crunchy vegetables adrift in an oil-less vinegar “pickle” concoction. It’s such an appealing combination of tastes and textures. It’s a whole new take on conventional potato salad. My version is adapted from the recipe in his cookbook, “Ultimate Veg” (Flatiron Books). I use Baby Dutch Yellow potatoes, small yellow-skinned beauties with creamy white flesh and buttery flavor. They are blanched and then roasted, partially smushed to get them extra crunchy luscious.

Yield: 6 generous servings

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds Baby Dutch Yellow potatoes

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 English cucumber

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

5 radishes, trimmed, cut into thick slices

1/2 medium-sized red onion, halved top to bottom, thinly sliced crosswise

1/2 bunch fresh dill

1/2 bunch fresh mint

1 1/2 ounces crumbled feta cheese (I like the feta that is augmented with Mediterranean herbs)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook potatoes in large pan of boiling salted water until just fork tender, about 10 to 13 minutes. Drain in colander; allow to rest in colander for 5 minutes for steam to release. Place potatoes in a single layer in a roasting pan (I use a 9 1/2-by-14 inch roasting pan). Toss with 2 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, grate lemon zest and place in small bowl. Finely chop rosemary leaves and add to bowl. Stir in flour. When potatoes come out of oven after 20 minutes, sprinkle zest mixture from a height onto potatoes. Toss. Gingerly squash potatoes to flatten slightly. (I found it easiest to do this with a metal measuring cup pushed down with fingers inside the cup, but you could use a meat pounder.) Drizzle a little olive oil on potatoes. Roast an additional 20 minutes or until golden and crisp.

3. Meanwhile, scratch the outside of the cucumber with a fork to create lengthwise grooves, then cut into thin rounds. In a large bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, and juice from half the lemon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine. Add cucumber, radishes, and onion. Add herbs leaves (picked from stems, stems discarded) and toss.

4. Center the potatoes on a platter. Spoon vegetable mixture down the middle portion of the potatoes. Top with crumbled feta cheese.

Source: Adapted from “Ultimate Veg” by Jamie Oliver

Related Articles

Easy, healthy home cooking: Super simple honey mustard salmon

Easy, healthy home cooking: Try this recipe for chimichurri sauce

Easy, healthy home cooking: Grilled skirt steak with chimichurri recipe

Easy, healthy home cooking: Roasted cauliflower with chimichurri

New Year’s Resolutions: How to become a better home chef, according to Amanda Haas