Know your…potatoes

King Edward Potatoes are commonly available and just coming to an end of their time in stores now. They have creamy coloured flesh with red blushes and shallow eyes and are often oval in shape. The flesh is firm and cream in colour and when they are cooked they have a fluffy texture. The potato had an inauspicious start. Bred by a Northumberland gardener who called it Fellside Hero, it was passed into the hands of a Yorkshire grower who in turn passed it to a potato merchant in Manchester, who gave it to John Butler of Scotter in Lincolnshire who, recognising its worth bought all the seed stocks available and multiplied the variety on 50 acres before renaming it King Edward, as it was introduced at the same time as the coronation of Edward V11 in 1902. Popular for mashed potato, roasting and baking, it is a good all rounder and can be used for chipping, sautéing and steaming. It had its moment in the sun when Delia Smith anointed it as the best potato with which to make gnocchi and ‘perfect’ for mashed potatoes.

Not only is Holland the birthplace of the artist Vincent Van Gogh who famously painted the picture The Potato Eaters, it is also the home of the Picasso Potato – now coming into the shops. Again it is oval in shape with smooth white skin, pink eyes and creamy flesh and great taste! Widely acknowledged to be the best kind of potato for the jacket potato they are perfect as a basis for an autumn supper – served with piles of grated cheese or baked beans they are nutritious and a filling but inexpensive meal. Also good for chips and boiling, Picasso is a good all rounder as we go into the season of filling suppers and stews! Picasso potatoes are now in stock at Moor Farm Shop, Newborough.

The Potato Eaters Vincent Van Gough 1885