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Post by jude on Dec 1, 2006 21:47:22 GMT -5
As Water Moon already knows that I am not much of a cook and prefer to eat in restaurants, I don't think she will mind if I post my simple country recipes. Feel free to post your own baked potato recipe variations in this thread. --------- Baked potato with butter and salt First choose a large Idaho potatos with a rough skin and no bruises. Also make certain that the eyes are not growing out because that means the potato is getting old. Or just pick the best rough-skinned Idaho potato that you can find. Next, set the oven to 400 F to preheat while scrubbing the potato with a brush (not a wire brush, though--you want to leave the skin on). Poke some holes in a few places in the potato to avoid having it split open or explode while baking. Put the potato(s) in the oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. If it's a small potato, make it an hour; a really big one, an hour and a half. The point is to bake the potato until it is flaky inside so that it will absorb the butter. After cooking, cut the potato in half and scrape out the insides, and through away the skin (or feed in to the wildlife). If you grew up growing potatos, you will know why not to eat the skin! Cut thin pieces of butter and melt them into the potato, mising it up until it is saturated with butter. Then add salt (mising it in) until it takes good to you. Then eat! Jude
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Post by jude on Dec 4, 2006 6:12:19 GMT -5
Can't figure out how to edit my previous post... I just wanted to mention that baked potatoes made in the oven are a great food for winter because the long time in the oven helps to warm up the house. Jude
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Post by erics on Dec 4, 2006 9:51:45 GMT -5
If you grew up growing potatos, you will know why not to eat the skin! Ok, why don't I want to eat the skins?
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Post by water_moon on Dec 4, 2006 14:21:09 GMT -5
Well it depends, but I know my grandma used manure to fertilize them. O/c she always made sure it had properly composted first (if it's still stemaing it can burn the plant roots)
But then that's why we soak them in water for about 5 minutes and scrub the skins 'till they're a much lighter shade. My grandma always swore the skin was where the nutrients are, hence we ate it all.
Twice baked potatos: Bake 3 potatos as above, up to where you scrape out the insides. You want to leave a layer of insides that's about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick on the skins, try to keep the skin as intact as possible and set the skin aside.
In a mixing bowl combine potato insides, 3 Tablespoons butter 1/2 cup cheese (cheddar works best), 2 Tablespoons real bacon bits, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/8 cup milk, a pinch of salt. Mash until creamy. You can either then smooth the potatos back in to the shells, heaping it above the skin edge or pipe it in with an icing bag.
Sprinkle the top with chopped chives, cheese, or very thin curls of butter and place back in the oven for 20-30 minutes. If you're in a big rush you can microwave them for 6-8 minutes instead but the top doesn't brown as nicely that way.
You can add more or less to load or unload your potatos, for instance, my family doesn't care for sour cream or chives but they love the cheese, so we load 'em up with about 1/4 C per half potato.
Makes six.
ps. it's the "modify" button at the top to edit. Unlimited editting time.
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Post by jude on Dec 5, 2006 0:14:12 GMT -5
Yep, it's the manure. Potatoes are grown only half buried (you cut pieces, each with an eye froma potato to plant), and a lot of cow manure is dumped on top. Since the skins of Idaho potatoes are really rough, often dirt and manure gets permanently stuck in the skin. Baking for an hour or so at 400 F will probably kill any germs, but still...
EDIT: Another very IMPORTANT thing to know if you grow your own potatoes: The green balls that grow on the plant above the ground are POISONOUS, and can be deadly if eaten. Only eat the tuber part that grows below the ground.
Jude
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Post by erics on Dec 5, 2006 13:29:57 GMT -5
This is a good example of why ignorance is bliss.
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Post by water_moon on Dec 5, 2006 15:25:37 GMT -5
This is a good example of why ignorance is bliss. totally OT, but tomato and potato plants are in the nightshade family, so folks thought they were poisionous and refused to eat them for the longest time (1700's for tomatos in Italy and Britain). O/c in fact the plants themselves (leaves and stems) are to varying degrees, only the parts we typically eat are safe. Thus it's no small wonder that the poorer parts of the world are where they first gained popularity in cooking.
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Post by jude on Dec 17, 2006 5:27:02 GMT -5
I just edited my original post to put int he step about poking holes in the skin of the pototo before baking. My partner reminded me that although I do poke the holes, I didn't put it in the recipe!
Jude
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Post by water_moon on Dec 18, 2006 17:11:24 GMT -5
Do'h! I didn't even notice that I'm so used to doing it myself to avoid the "exploding potato".
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Post by Jason Maher on Dec 8, 2008 22:12:02 GMT -5
Ah, the good old spud. In my mind it should be classified as a meat. Tastes too good for a veggie.
When I think baked spuds, I normally think of what most would probably call roasted spuds, which means peeled, half-boiled, coated in oil, butter, or cooking spray (the easiest method) and popped in oven to brown. The skin can optionally be left on. I eat these things like its my last meal.
Speaking of skins, there's an all-you-can-eat restaurant chain here in Oz called Sizzler's that includes deep fried potato skins as a regular in their salad bar. I usually help myself to a decent sized pile of 'em. I figure they're the skins from the potatoes they peel for chips and mash, which is a better idea than tossing them.
Interesting that you caution us to avoid the skins, Jude. The spuds I buy usually are the "brushed" variety, which still have a fair bit of dirt clinging to the skin. I guarantee you there's nothing but soil (I'd smell if other substances were present).
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