Recipes Featuring Organic Potatoes!

DO delivers Ontario grown potatoes all over Toronto throughout most of the year. You'll find reds, whites and yellows on our list as well as russets, blues and fingerlings; new harvest and mini-gourmet mixes are delivered during the summer months. Well-loved by most, potatoes need no real introduction, they go well with just about anything and are just so versatile. But did you know that the the good ole spud has made it onto the Dirty Dozen list of pesticide laden veg mulitple times? During tuber growth, they drink heavily to fuel themselves thus making them susceptible to absorbing all the toxins in the surrounding soil. Certified organic potatoes really are the only way to go!

There are over 4000 varieties of potatoes! So we stick to the basic classifications: red, white, yellow and russet and throw in a few distinct varieties every now and then. Here's a breakdown of what we carry and their characteristics:

Fingerling potatoes: there are quite a few varieties of fingerlings being grown in Ontario - Linzer Delikatess, French and Banana fingerlings are usually what we receive from our farmers. We also get the Peruvian blues from time to time. We generally deliver fingerlings from around June throught to December. Perfect for roasting, using in salads (warm or not); or for making purees.

Red potatoes: Desiree, Chieftain, Red Norland and Nordana are the varieties we regularly carry as well as all-reds or Cranberry potatoes. Red potatoes are considered 'waxy' and are most suited to boiling, steaming, sauteeing or pan-frying, using in salads or in layered tortes or gratins as they hold their shape very well when cooked. Looking to make a decandent scalloped potato dish? Red potatoes are the ones you need!

Russet potatoes: starchy, creamy and perfect for baking whole. Russets don't hold their shape when boiled or steamed, so they are generally used for mashing and are often used for fries. A very popular variety grown in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, we deliver Ontario grown whenever we can, (the Pfennings in Baden, Ontario grow this popular variety and we often deliver their product).

Yellow potatoes: Yukon Gold, Agria, Estima and Vivaldi are the varieties we regularly carry. Yellow potatoes are considered to be good for most purposes, they have a low water content and are quite starchy which makes them the perfect choice for roasting, baking whole, making fluffy mash or your own french fries. They are also suited to making home-made potato gnocchi.

Blue potatoes

Blue (purple) potatoes: varities we've sold include, Russian blue and Peruvian purple. These brilliantly coloured beauties have been gaining in popularity and more organic farmers have been growing them in their efforts maintain heirloom varieties and plant diversity. Great for roasting and making warm salads or using in gratins. You can mash them or use them in soups, but they can lose their colour and go grey.

New potatoes: are those that are harvested first in the potato harvest season. Their skins are very thin and lightly flakey and don't need to be removed - just give them a light scrubbing to remove any dirt. They don't store very well and are best enjoyed right away. We love cooking them whole on the BBQ and then tossing them in an abundance of fresh chopped herbs and olive oil. New potatoes are also excellent for potato salads.

Sieglinde potatoes: are an oblong-shaped, thin-skinned yellow fleshed variety of potato. A favourite in Europe, especially Germany, because of their thin skins. No need to peel these, and use them in something where they can soak up a sauce or a dressing. The yellow flesh is rich and buttery. Roast, boil or steam.