The humble potato has had a very strange history. Many years ago, the French refused to eat one. The Spanish brought potatoes to Europe but the French weren’t so keen on the vegetable. They called it hog feed and they believed it would cause leprosy.
Then a french pharmacist called Antoine-Augustin Parmentier who served as an army pharmacist during the Seven Year War was captured by the Prussians. It was during the time that Parmentier was captured that he was forced to eat potatoes as part of his prison diet.
Parmentier was amazed he had eaten potatoes and he did not have leprosy. When he was released at the end of the war he decided to take the news back to France. He made it his mission to help the French enjoy the humble potato. So I thought I help you this summer with this delicious pesto and potatoes.
Serves 4
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
- Baking tray
- Tablespoon
- Potato masher
Ingredients
- Pesto x 2 – 4 tbsp
- New Potatoes x 800g
- Garlic x 4 – 8 cloves (optional)
- Olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C and put in the baking tray.
- Boil in the large saucepan for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes drain the contents of the saucepan through the colander.
- Now put the potatoes into the baking tray and drizzle over olive oil.
- Throw in the garlic, if you are adding it, at this point as well.
- Toss the potatoes and garlic (optional) in the oil and put this back into the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and place into a heat proof bowl.
- Spoon in the pesto and mix together.
- Then serve with meat of your choice and enjoy.
Pesto Roasted New Potatoes were so yummy. We ate this dish with a piece of chicken wrapped in bacon. It was so tasty. I thought the pesto potatoes would be delicious with a piece of BBQ meat or a burger. They are also yummy hot or cold too. Therefore they could be made in advance of a meal and stored in the fridge until you want to eat it. It made a nice change by adding the pesto to the potatoes and it’s one meal we will be eating again soon. However you decide to eat this dish as always please enjoy. Thank you. xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 