La Ratte fingerling potatoes

After reading ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’ by Barbara Kingsolver last Spring, I rushed to order the La Ratte fingerling potatoes she raves about in the book.  Now we are harvesting them, and let me tell you, it is quite a prolific harvest!  One plant had 20 fingerlings, though the average was probably about 8 or 9; anyway, we have filled many boxes with just this one variety.

The La Ratte fingerling potato is described as having a nutty flavor, making it extremely desirable by chefs and cooks serious about their food.  I have cooked them for a few meals, and I’ll have to be honest and say that so far they haven’t tasted any more flavorful than any other potato varieties we’ve harvested this year.  What I do like about them is the fact that a quick scrub is all it takes to prepare them for cooking, which is right up my alley – I quit peeling potatoes years ago when I discovered skin-on mashed potatoes; well, except for Thanksgiving, gotta have white mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.

I’m glad I gave these a try, but I’m not sure yet if I’ll plant them again – perhaps they will get nuttier tasting as they age and sway my viewpoint, but for now the jury is still out.