Potatoes, new - Vegetable/Fruit Summer Produce

➤ When: New potatoes are baby potatoes that have been harvested young in their life. They’re best in early summer, all the way till August. New potatoes have a thin skin and are great with little preparation. They may be pink, brown, yellow, red, or white; all are beautiful and delicious.

➤ What to Look For: Small new potatoes tend to have better flavor and softer texture than larger ones. Avoid those with sprouts, a green tint, or dry, chapped skin. The green tint on potatoes contains a substance—solanine—that can be poisonous, and that can be very aging. (So don’t eat potatoes that have started to sprout or have green skin!)

➤ Why: The major age-reducing benefits of potatoes come from the potassium and fiber in the skin. Because potatoes have a lot of simple carbohydrates, eat a little healthy fat first to gain the most RealAge benefit.

➤ How to Use: New potatoes are wonderful in salads because they hold their shape well, and because their flavor combines with other ingredients so well. Steaming and roasting work best for new potatoes, although pan-frying, and grilling work as well. For hash browns, try shredded new potatoes tossed with garlic and thyme, or grated with onion and then tossed in a skillet with dried leaf oregano.

This ingredient information was published in 'Cooking The RealAge Way, Turn Back Your Biological Clock with More Than 80 Delicious and Easy Recipes (MICHAEL F. ROIZEN, M.D. and JOHN LA PUMA, M.D.) - p188'