Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes



I don't really care that it is summer and it is hot, because these days I have been wanting to roast everything.  My abundance of summer squash goes into the oven, I have been making Spice Roasted Carrots like crazy, and I just made another batch of Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip this weekend.  Call me crazy, but doesn't roasting make everything taste better?

Isn't this bag of little potatoes just the cutest?

Roasting also saves me time - which I don't need to remind you, is in short supply these days.  So naturally, when I picked up some beautiful fingerling potatoes from Weiser Farms at the Little Italy Farmers Market, I made big plans to toss them into the oven with some olive oil, and little salt, and some fresh herbs. 


Beautiful different colors of fingerling potatoes.
I love roasting sliced potatoes with some onions, red peppers, and rosemary, but for these whole fingerling potatoes I wanted something a little more rustic, so I turned to sage.  I adore the soft texture of fresh sage, it just draws me in like a delicate feather.  The earthy and sweet fragrance is so different from other herbs, and it pairs perfectly with fresh-from-the-ground fingerling potatoes. 




Altogether, this recipe is almost so simple that it is silly - all you have to do is toss the cleaned potatoes with the herbs, a little minced garlic, some high quality extra virgin olive oil, and some salt and pepper.  Salt is really awesome with potatoes, so be sure to give them a generous coating.  


Now I know you are going to laugh, or maybe think I am crazy, but one of my favorite things about roasting these potatoes is the sound.  I understand food is usually about taste and smell and texture, but I am both excited and entertained by the sound of these potatoes roasting away in the oven.  

First, the herbs start to get blackened and singed and the potatoes make little crackling noises.  Combined with the smell of the garlic and herbs coming from the oven, this lets me know that magic is happening in there.  But it is the second sound that really makes me giggle - by the time I pull them out of the oven to turn them after about 15 or 20 minutes, they seriously make little screaming noises from the steam escaping from underneath the skins.  In my mind, I always imagine wheezing old happy men or tiny squeaking mice, either of which is sort of hilarious and makes me grin.



Once the potatoes are all done wheezing away and making me think of old men, they actually look like they have aged too - dark spots and wrinkled skin covers up the creamy, starchy goodness sealed inside.  The flavor is still pure - none of the garlic or herbs actually gets inside the potato - but it tastes like so much more because the little potato has been transformed by roasting with the sage. 

Between the rustic flavor and ease of preparation, these potatoes are great for serving family-style at a dinner party.  However, to make this a complete quick weekday meal, my go-to pairing for these potatoes is a simple grilled center-cut pork chop, paired with a fresh green salad.  Just sprinkle the pork chop with garlic salt, kosher salt, and pepper, and grill it up during the last ten minutes while the potatoes are roasting away.  If you get started right when you come home from work, you can have a complete, healthy, well-balanced meal in under 30 minutes.  

And honestly, some days, 30 minutes may be all you have, so why not make it count?!  Enjoy the rest of your week!     


You might also like: French Potato Salad with Herbs
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Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
For roasted fingerling potatoes, my favorite herb to use is definitely sage, but this recipe is great with rosemary too.  If you go with an herb that has more natural oils (such as rosemary or thyme), you will only need to use about 2 tablespoons or less of the chopped herbs.  And while I do love this for a quick weekday meal, it is definitely the perfect side dish to serve family-style for a dinner party.   

2 lbs fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh sage
Approximately 2 tsp minced garlic
Approximately 2 tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil
Plenty of kosher salt and pepper

Preaheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scrub potatoes well to remove any dirt or grit still remaining on the skins, then dry them.  In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, sage, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper (be generous with the salt!) until the potatoes are well coated.  Spread them out in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish, and roast them for about 15 minutes.  Take them out of the oven, turn them a few times so they cook more evenly and don't burn, then return them to the oven to cook for another 10-15 minutes (a total of 25-30 minutes roasting time).  Once they are done, the skins will be wrinkly and browned, and a fork or knife should slice through the potatoes easily.  Serve them immediately.  

28 comments:

  1. Such beautiful photos & this recipe looks delicious, love roasted potatoes!

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  2. I must admit rosemary is my favorite with potatoes but I'll take sage too. Lovely!

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  3. Perfect with sage! Those must be delicious. Fingerling potatoes are so addictive.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  4. What a marvelous dinner! I am not a normal fan of potatoes. They are not my favorite and I can easily pass them up. However, fingerling potatoes are different. I cannot resist a bag like that. The purple ones are beautiful!

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  5. I think the same potato vendor comes to our market because I buy that exact little bag o' potatoes every week. I think they're from Stockton.
    Thanks for a great recipe :)

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  6. Potatoes never looked so good! :) Sage is a GREAT idea.

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  7. I wrapped these potatoes in a foil with some dried herbs and paprika and grilled them a couple of weeks back. Loved them! This recipe looks wonderful!

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  8. Oh, I adore this fingerling potato medley, these are definitely awesome roasted!

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  9. Mmm, I agree, roasting makes everything taste so good. I love it! Your potatoes look delicious. I don't have any sage because I don't use it often, but if I come across I know how I'll use it. Oh, and I love the screaming potatoes too! Heehee :D

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  10. Oh, yum! I love that you've added sage. And I had to giggle at your wheezing old men comparison :)

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  11. These look WONDERFUL! I can't wait to try them.

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  12. Fingerling potatoes are very addictive, especially when you can get them rainbow colored. All those colors just dance for the eyes.

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  13. These look wonderful! I've done a similar thing with baby potatoes before, but these are so pretty in their different colours!

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  14. I love roasted new potatoes... so sweet and tender and starchy.
    It feels a little unfair that they're at their best when it's so blistering hot that the last thing I feel like doing is turning on my oven. :P
    Love the way you've compared roasted potatoes to old men, BTW. Too true!

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  15. I'm glad I'm not the only one who think these potatoes are cute. I love to roast them as well!

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  16. Herb roasted potatoes are one of my favorite things on the planet! These look so amazing.

    I hope all is going well with all of your dissertatin'. :)

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  17. I'm such a potato lover, this sounds so tasty!

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  18. I love roasted fingerling potatoes and weirdly enough just started making them this past winter. I never think to make them in summer but how right you are! And with the seasons fresh sage, just perfect! Love all the colors of your babies!

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  19. I completely agree that roasting makes everything better. Roasted potatoes are always great, but I've never tried fingerlings before. These look so good. I'm definitely adding this recipe to my meal plan for next week!

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  20. I totally agree with you, roasting brings out such great flavors. There's really no reason not to roast, even in summer!

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  21. The simple things in life are often the BEST! You nailed it with these fingerlings and herbs - perfect. Nice photos!!

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  22. Yes, roasting is always my go-to method for making anything taste delicious. Plus, it's so darn easy and all you have to do is sit there and drink wine while it's cooking, albeit the occasional opening of the oven door to peek and see all is well. :-p My favorite roastees are cauliflower -- they taste so good hit with a splash of truffle oil at the very end. Omigash...

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  23. It is the cutest bag of potatoes!! Love the fresh herbs used, this make the perfect side dish. Happy Friday!

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  24. It's nice when a good recipe, pretty dish and meal my family will eat coincides! This would work perfectly.

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  25. Oh my goodness. I want these. Now.

    I love potatoes so much anyway, but these are so fantastic looking too. They're just lovely! Can't wait to try them!

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