There are three basic cooking categories, based on the potato’s starch & moisture content: Boiling, Baking, & All-purpose.

* The “Baker;” Brown, knobby Russets or Idaho bakers. These are low moisture, high starch variety. Good for baking and mashed. They have a flaky or mealy texture with a thick, brown skin. These are good for thickening soups & chowders too.

*The Boiler; Low starch & high moisture. These are thin skinned and smooth. They are referred to as “waxy” in their texture. They hold their shape when simmered (NOT boiled) or roasted. Some of the varieties include: Banana, Rose Finn Apple, White Rose, All Red, Red Bliss, French Fingerling…

*The All-purpose; Medium starch, medium moisture. These work for baking or boiling. Yukon Gold, Blue & purple varieties, Red Golds, Yellow Finn…

**Side note: All potatoes when “new” are in the “waxy” category. They haven’t developed their sugars/starch yet, so remain firmer when cooked.
***Greenish cast to potato means toxic levels of solanine content has built up due to exposure to sunlight. PEEL this off, getting the eyes or sprouts too. Bad, icky….

My personal favorite way to enjoy spuds is to toss them (usually halved or quartered) in a garlicky, herby, olive oil (or cheat & use a store-bought vinaigrette…just skip the salt in seasoning), season with salt & coarse ground pepper & roast on an oiled sheet pan in a 375°F oven. Turning occasionally until golden brown & slightly crispy exterior, for about one hour, give or take. To speed this up, you can par-boil the potatoes ahead or use left over. Adjust your roasting time accordingly.

Make sure you use a large enough sheet pan that allows plenty of room so the spuds can brown on all sides–don’t crowd, single layer…

French Potato Salad

2Lbs. Red or Yellow Potatoes (Rose Finn, Cal Red, Red Bliss, Yellow Finn…) Scrubbed, unpeeled and sliced into ¼” slabs.
2 Tbl. Kosher salt
1-2 Garlic cloves-roasted ahead of time & cooled
1/4 c. fruity olive oil
2 Tbl. Champagne or white wine vinegar
2 Tbl. Stoneground Dijon (or similar) Mustard
1/2 tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
1 small Shallot, minced
1 Tbl. Each: Fresh, minced Chervil, Italian Parsley, Chives, & Tarragon.
1 tsp. fresh minced thyme

Place potatoes in large pan, cover potatoes with 8c. cold water & salt. Bring just to a simmer (don’t boil hard), then reduce heat to medium heat. Cook approx. 5 minutes or until a paring knife can be inserted into the potato with little resistance. Drain potatoes, reserving 1/4c. of the cooking liquid.
Place potatoes onto an oiled baking dish or deep-sided sheet pan.
In a separate bowl, add garlic (mashed or pressed through a press), shallot, olive oil, vinegar, reserved cooking liquid, mustard, herbs, salt, & pepper. Whisk to blend. Drizzle over potatoes evenly. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve Immediately.
*options: Garnish with 1 tsp. rinsed, chopped capers & good black olives (Nicoise or Kalamata).