News

The other day, as I was walking through my local farmers' market, my eye was taken by a bushel basket of new potatoes. It was almost empty, except for a layer of black, loamy earth mixed in with two to three pounds of potatoes no bigger than marbles.

But when I asked to buy them, I was directed, by way of a pointed finger, to the baskets of larger potatoes. Fortunately, I managed to convince the stall holder to help me sift those "gleaners" out with our fingers. I bought them all.

The county of Kent, where I grew up, is known as the garden of England. Our town was surrounded by farm land and the most common crop was potatoes. Kids would make pocket money by going "gleaning." After the professional pickers had been through the field, the farmers would wave us on and we would be allowed to gather any potatoes the pickers considered too small (a gleaner).

This was encouraged by the farmers because it meant that they would have fewer problems with potatoes reseeding themselves into the next crop. For us kids it was great because we would sell them in the neighbourhood for what seemed like a small fortune.

Gleaners are also a treat to eat. When a new potato is truly fresh, the feathery skin can be rubbed off between finger and thumb because it hasn't had time to thicken from drying in storage. All that then needs to be done is to give them a quick rinse prior to cooking.

The potatoes I bought at the market were fantastic. I loved the earthy aroma as they were cooking along with a large sprig of mint from the garden.

When the potatoes are really tender - to the point that some of them may have just begun to fall apart - drain them in a colander, remove the mint sprig and leave to dry in their own heat for a moment. Then, tip them into a bowl with as much sweet butter as your conscience will allow. Season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, freshly snipped chives and mint leaves.

New potatoes are also brilliant when cooked as above but tossed with pesto. This is especially wonderful with grilled fish.

*****

PESTO FOR NEW POTATOES

Pesto is at its best when used soon after it is made, but tightly wrapped and refrigerated, it will keep satisfactorily for several days. (Note: It is somewhat unusual to add butter to pesto, but by doing so, when the pesto is tossed with hot foods, it will coat more evenly. If you want to leave the butter out, the oil should be increased by about 1/2 cup.)

What you need

2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

3 tablespoons of softened sweet butter, at room temperature

What you do

Put the basil, oil, pine nuts, garlic and salt in a blender and process until evenly blended. Pour out into a bowl and work in the cheese and butter using a spatula.

*****

Beppi's wine matches

Dry white wine is the ticket here. Don't be afraid to keep it simple. Soave, verdicchio or pinot grigio, all from Italy, would be good. For the money, a top-notch Soave-style wine is Anselmi San Vincenzo (about $17). Another good choice is Lugana, also from Italy, such as Zenato San Benedetto Lugana (about $16). The buttery quality of this recipe opens it up to a creamier-textured wine, too, such as a Sicilian chardonnay. Also consider a sauvignon blanc from British Columbia or Ontario.

Beppi Crosariol