My parents shared their love of gardening with my kids from a very young age. As a result, the kids anxiously await the annual digging of the potatoes. The excitement gleaned from a dug potato, discovered by digging in dirt is a joy I wish every child could experience.
For the past few years, we've been blessed with a potato garden planted next to our home by the kids, with the guidance (and lots of prep and help) from grandparents, Poppy and Gram. In the spring (a few weeks ago), the kids planted cut potatoes in trenches and mounded them with dirt. As the plants begin to sprout and grow, the kids will continue to mound dirt over the plants. This fall, or late summer, the kids will start their hunt for freshly dug potatoes.
Last summer, Connor could have lived on his Red Potato Homefries for days. I loved the independence that this breakfast created for Mr. C during summer days that I tried balancing work and kids at home. He loved whipping up this breakfast and even shared it with the siblings.
Planting potatoes
Freshly dug potatoes.
Connor's Red Potato Homefries
Ingredients:
5-8 baked red potatoes
1 Tablespoon of olive oil, or enough to coat the bottom of your pan
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
Optional Toppings:
Grated cheddar cheese, grated pepper jack cheese, cooked and crumbled bacon, ham bites or sausage crumbles, salsa, sour cream, chopped green onions
Instructions:
1. Coat the bottom of a frying pan or skillet with a thin layer of olive oil. Heat oil to medium high heat.
2. Cut baked red potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Place into heated pan and fry until brown and crispy, tossing every few minutes.
3. Salt and pepper to taste. Mound potatoes on plate and add optional toppings.
Connor's version doesn't include chopped sweet onions like my own version. I add one chopped onion with the oil and saute' prior to adding the potatoes for several minutes until the onions sweat.
I like to keep a bag of pre-baked potatoes in the refrigerator so this recipe can be made at a moment's notice so I bake a large batch all at once. I pre-cut the baked potatoes and toss them in a baggie with the oil prior to camping trips and they taste even more amazing while eating out in the wild.
Baked red potatles, kosher salt, olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.
