Potato Planting

   

Prepped bed

        It was warm and sunny in the Willamette Valley this weekend. The garden beds were at the perfect stage, between mud ball and hard clay; the moon was just past full. The time was ripe to plant the potatoes--.  Yukon Gold. Desiree. All Blue. Ruby Crescent. Enough to last the winter, stored under the stairs. I pulled out the shoe boxes full of saved seed, opened the new bag of Bio-Fish fertilizer, called Mark, and settled in. I spread the fertilizer in rows. Mark used the old pointed hoe to dig the trenches. I cut up the tubers and settled in them in, then he followed behind covering them over. We put in  90 feet of seed potatoes—two ten foot beds, four full rows, plus the extras tucked in the middle—in about an hour.

       

cut potatoes

     While we planted, we listened to the neighborhood. The Laugher had company over and his constant guffaws dominated the back alley. Next door, Kallen was noodling around on his guitar, following a jazzy riff. The frat boys a block away were up on their roof, shouting cheerfully for a friend to crank up the Bob Marley and then come up and join the party. The chickens let us know how they felt about serious digging going on without their help (they were not pleased). The cats came by to comment and supervise. A bike rattled by. Someone carried on a conversation, loudly, over their phone. Al, who lives about a block away in the other direction, shouted out a greeting to a passer-by. Everyone was out, enjoying the sun.

planted-- blue potato sprouts stick up

Vegetable Hash—a perfect use for old potatoes and large leaves of mustard greens!

Wash, chop in chunks, and boil 4-5 potatoes, any type, although waxy is better.

While the potatoes boil, sauté a large bunch of mustard greens in the cast iron skillet. Add some garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper.

When the potatoes are done, drain and add to the skillet. Add a half pint of canned roasted tomatoes. Stir. Mash the potatoes a bit with the wooden spoon, taking the sharp edges off.  Stir, mash, and warm through. Eat with new whole wheat bread.