The first day of school. Actually, the big boy has had football practices all last week, so it’s not such a shock, but still…
School doesn’t mean the same things for us as most folks. We love having our kids around, while they don’t formally work here, it’s nice to have them around to ask for help in a pinch. Even if they are not super efficient workers, they are such nice company. School really means a lot of interruptions to our normal work schedule and flow, and actually, I like it. It makes for built in breaks, and I really treasure those moments with the boys. Without the interruptions of children, this would all be work, hard work, and colin and I are not the sort to take a break on our own. We need prompting and encouragement to rest. The little boy, Nigel gave us a big rest prompt by coming down with the flu and requiring almost constant snuggling. Sad, but sweet.

Some Potato lore from the A-Z cookbook:
The simple and trusted potato is the leading vegetable grown worldwide, produced in 130 of the world’s 167 independent countries. There are varieties of potatoes that thrive cultivated below sea level and those that are well adapted to 14,000 ft. above and everything in between.
Potatoes are native to the Andean Mountain regions of South America, where they have been in cultivation since 3000 B.C. Discovered there by the Spaniards, they were introduced in Europe, and then finally in North America in the early 1700’s. The Europeans were slow to trust the potato, a member if the potentially poisonous nightshade family. However, this useful food was slowly adopted in order to protect against famine wrought by grain crop failures. In some countries, such as Ireland, dependence on the potato grew until its own crop failure in 1845 catalyzed a severe famine and a desperate and massive immigration of Irish to the U.S.

Well integrated into the American diet, a person in this country may eat an average of 75 pounds potatoes annually. Unfortunately, a significant portion is consumed in the high fat, high sodium form of French fries and potato chips. Alone, the potato is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and minerals, particularly potassium, providing the skin is consumed. Potatoes are a fairly good source of vegetable protein as well. They will form a complete protein when eaten with meat, dairy, or grains.
Potatoes are an excellent storage crop and are often a staple in a seasonal winter diet. The season begins with lovely new baby potatoes in July and goes throughout the summer and fall. Potatoes must be harvested before the ground freezes and stored properly in order to be enjoyed all winter. Certain varieties store better than others.

Storage tips;
Refrigerate potatoes for 1-2 weeks.
Potatoes hold best at 45-50 degrees, high humidity and darkness. IF their environment is too warm they will sprout and shrivel; if too cold, the starch will turn to sugar.

All the weekly csa share potatoes have been washed and should be kept in the refrigerator. At the end of CSA season we will give you some dry potatoes with the dirt still on them, and those you will want to keep at 45-50 degrees in the dark and such. If you don’t just eat them all up right away.

German Butterball is such a great potato. It tastes so rich and buttery and delicious, and it is a great keeper, and a good grower and yielder, too.