• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces

2–4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 large bunch kale or collards (remove and discard tough stems)

4–5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup dried breadcrumbs

1 Combine the potatoes and two garlic cloves in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and boil gently until completely tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Lift the potatoes and garlic out of the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.

2 Add the greens to the potato cooking water and boil over high heat until tender, about 4 minutes for kale or 10 to 15 minutes for collards. Drain well, pressing out any excess water.

3 Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, adding 3 to 4 tablespoons of the oil to moisten.

4 Preheat the broiler.

5 Transfer the greens to a cutting board and chop; stir into the mashed potatoes. Add additional oil to taste. Season generously with salt and pepper.

6 Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs. If you are a garlic lover, mince the remaining two garlic cloves and sprinkle over the bread-crumbs. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Broil until the breadcrumbs are golden, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Kitchen Note: Homemade breadcrumbs are always better than store-bought. To make dried breadcrumbs, bake slices of fresh bread in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until dry. Then break into pieces and grind into crumbs in a food processor.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Serves 4

A basic potato preparation that goes with everything. I prefer it to hash browns or home fries with my Sunday morning eggs — less fuss.

2 pounds thin-skinned potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks

2 shallots, minced

2 teaspoons dried rosemary or thyme

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a half sheet pan (preferred) or large shallow roasting pan.

2 Mound the potatoes, shallots, and herbs on the sheet pan. Drizzle with the oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to coat. Arrange in a single layer.

3 Roast for 45 to 60 minutes, turning occasionally for even cooking, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and browned. Serve hot.

Kitchen Note: If you happen to have duck or goose fat on hand, you can melt it and use it instead of the olive oil. The potatoes will be transformed from delicious to sublime.

I do not believe that you have to spend a lot of money to eat well: it is hard to beat a plain old baked potato.

— Laurie Colwin (1944 –1992)

Roasted Spiced Potatoes

Serves 4

Roasted potatoes are welcome at any meal, but spicy roasted potatoes can make an otherwise plain meal seem exciting.

¼ cup sunflower or canola oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 pounds thin-skinned potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a half sheet pan (preferred) or large shallow roasting pan.

2 Combine the oil with the salt, curry powder, cumin, onion powder, black pepper, five-spice powder, ginger, and cayenne in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the sheet pan.

3 Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally for even cooking, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and browned. Serve hot.

Kitchen Note: The potatoes are cut into smaller cubes than in the previous recipe, to increase the surface area for more spicy goodness and to reduce the baking time so the spices don’t scorch.

Saffron Potatoes

Serves 4–6

Braising in saffron-scented water adds great flavor. A yellow potato like Yukon Gold picks up the yellow coloring nicely, but any thin-skinned potato can be used.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds (6 medium) thin-skinned potatoes,