When asked to name my favourite vegetable, it's hard to look past the humble potato.
Not only are the tasty little tubers versatile enough to deserve a place in any recipe, but they're also loaded with nutrients and fibre to help you feel good.
Choosing which potatoes to cook with… now, that's a challenge. There are literally thousands of kinds of potatoes in the world, and my grocery store seems to stock at least half of them.
But I had come to the produce section with a mission to try out one particular kind of potato, and — luckily for me — The Little Potato Company spuds were right by the door!
Founded in Alberta in 1996, The Little Potato Company only grow one kind of potato, their Little Potatoes, which are known for their delicate skins, creamy texture and buttery flavour.
I gathered up some bags of their Boomer Gold and Blushing Belle taters and committed myself to a week full of potato-inspired cooking.
First impressions
I could see the effort made by The Little Potato Company to perfect these taters for midweek cooking as soon as I tipped them into the pot.
There's no need to peel, wash, scrub or chop these little spuds. And since all the Little Potatoes in a packet are roughly the same size, they cook at a consistent pace too — no more underdone taters come dinnertime.
And for anyone who doubts my ability to eat potatoes all week, don't worry about it. Few veggies are as versatile as these Little Potatoes, and I loved every minute of it.
Monday
While a raclette dinner might seem like a decadent affair, this meal of cheese, Boomer Gold potatoes and veggies took me just 10 minutes to get together.
Following the packet instructions, I steamed the potatoes in the microwave and had them on the table in about five minutes. And with their creamy texture and buttery flavour, the Little Potatoes were a match made in cheesy heaven for the hot, bubbling raclette.
Tuesday
The challenge of midweek cooking is finding something that takes minimal effort for maximum deliciousness (ideally with leftovers), which is why I picked an Instant Pot massaman beef curry for Tuesday's dinner.
While you don't need an Instant Pot for this recipe, it does speed things up and help intensify flavours.
Wednesday
Poutine is a wonderful midweek meal to help get you over that Wednesday hump. I made this one with a mix of Boomer Gold and Blushing Belles that I roasted and then tossed with gravy and fresh cheese curds.
Since Little Potatoes are nutrient-packed little mouthfuls, I was happy to find a more balanced version of this soul-warming recipe. I can confirm that the microwaved leftovers are next-level comfort eats.
Thursday
As the weekend approached, I decided to try a popular Indian recipe that puts the potato front and centre. While I admit my saag aloo wasn't as vibrantly green as others I've seen, it was nevertheless packed with flavour.
I cooked this with Boomer Golds, halving each parboiled little potato for bite-sized tastiness. When potatoes are centre stage in a recipe, you want them to deliver. And with their buttery flavour, these Little Potatoes knocked it out of the park.
Friday
Whoever invented smashed potatoes deserves an award. I used a mix of Boomer Gold and Blushing Belle for this dish because they just look so pretty together.
In this recipe, the boiled potatoes are tossed in butter, garlic and thyme before being squashed, sprinkled with parmesan, and roasted. The result is crispy discs of golden potato with an irresistibly soft and creamy interior.
Did I have a plate of smashed potatoes for dinner on Friday? Yes. Yes, I did.
And this recipe is my new bestie
Of all the dishes I tried, I was most impressed by the massaman curry. Not too spicy yet with complex flavours, it barely needs any hands-on effort to transform some pantry staples into a decadent dinner.
If you're keen to try it too, here's how I made it.
Instant Pot massaman beef with Little Potatoes
Ingredients
- 800 grams cubed chuck beef
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
- 119 ml (a small jar) massaman curry paste (red curry paste will also work in a pinch)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 5-10 green cardamom pods (or 1/2 a teaspoon ground cardamom)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 12 Boomer Gold Little Potatoes
Turn your Instant Pot to sauté mode, heat the oil or ghee and brown the beef cubes all over (you might have to do it in batches). Remove the beef and set aside.
Deglaze the pot with half a cup of coconut milk and bring it to the boil. Stir in the remaining coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, cardamom pods and cinnamon. Add the browned beef, secure the lid (with the pressure-release valve set to "sealing") and cook for 30 minutes in manual mode.
When the time's up, let the pressure release naturally (about 10 minutes). Add the Little Potatoes and sliced onion, replace the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes on manual mode.
Release the pressure valve, pick out the cardamom pods and serve the curry with rice, topped with fresh Thai chilli, cashews and plain yogurt.
Final thoughts
Until I spent a week cooking with The Little Potato Company potatoes, I didn't realize how much I'd been avoiding my favourite veg because of the effort used to prepare them.
Now there's an option that frees me from the relentless wash-peel-chop cycle, I can add more of these tasty morsels to my menu.
Knowing I could trust the Little Potatoes to turn out perfectly in every dish made a massive difference to my at-home cooking this week. Whether you boil, bake, steam or microwave them, you can get these spuds on the table in a fraction of the time.
To find out more about The Little Potato Company potatoes, check out their website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Although products were provided for free in this review, the author's opinions are genuine and do not reflect the views of Narcity Media.