My boys helped me dig some potatoes for our 4th of July family bbq. My job was to get the potatoes out of the ground, their job was to put the potatoes in the bag to carry into the house. It made me oddly happy that my 5 year old told me I was good at harvesting potatoes. It also made me happy that I found three different varieties, and they just happened to be red, white & blue…on the 4th of July!
I tried to be really careful with my little pitchfork thing when I was digging them out, but some of them still got roughed up. I figured it didn’t matter much since I was going to smash them anyway!
After I washed and boiled them, I arranged them into a patriotic potato flag on my baking sheet. Just because I could. On the 4th of July.
If you’re digging your own potatoes (and please do, I’ve never tasted anything like a new potato out of my garden! they’re buttery and creamy and tender and amazing. everyone should have potatoes in their garden!), be sure to wash them well. Don’t scrub so hard that their tender skin comes off, but be sure to get all the dirt off. Line your baking sheet with foil and drizzle with oil (or if you’re like me, use your handy little oil sprayer). Mine had canola oil in it, but olive oil will give it a richer taste.
Smash them with a potato masher. Be gentle.
Drizzle or spray with more oil, then sprinkle them with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, and fresh chives. I think rosemary would be fabulous, but I had chives in my garden, so that’s what went on.
Bake them until they’re crispy and beautiful, and you’ve got the perfect 4th of July side dish!
