Tag: Arkansas Russellville

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for some locally sourced new potatoes that make an irresistible side dish with burgers, chicken, or fish. They are full of herby flavor and crispy on the outside. These Herb Roast Potatoes are a delicious way to introduce you to one of our local farmers, Russell Family Farm out of Dover, AR!

Shop Your Local Farmer’s Market!

One of my favorite things about summer is shopping at the local farmer’s markets in our area. My family enjoys all the fresh produce we can find like potatoes, onions, lettuce, bok choy, squash, cucumbers, and more!

But most of all we really love supporting our local farming families. Farmers are so important to our food chain and now more than ever the small farmers need our support and our families need all the fresh and healthy food they’re working hard to grow!

So today, I wanted to share about one of the first trips of the season to the Pope County Farmer’s Market a while back (yes, I’m a bit behind with this post, oops), where we were lucky enough to find some new fresh potatoes grown and sold by Russell Family Farm.

Meet the Farmers: Russell Family Farm!

I took the opportunity to reach out to Bruno Russell in an effort to learn a little bit about Russell Family Farms so I wanted to introduce you guys to this local farming family also.

Joe and Hazel Russell began providing homegrown produce to the Russellville, AR area when they started selling their produce at the Pope County Farmer’s Market about 15 years ago.

They worked hard to grow their produce in the traditional in-ground method up until about 3 years ago, when their son Bruno, moved back to the area to work alongside his parents at the farm.

Since that time when Bruno joined them, they have begun transitioning to more of a raised bed method and now have around 40 raised garden beds ranging in various sizes and 30 wooden tomato cages.

Bruno stated they have hopes of adding an additional 10 raised beds this coming fall 2020, which will make it possible for them to grow even more fresh produce to sell at the farmer’s markets.

If you want to visit the Russel Family and pick up some of their wonderful products, and yes they have more than just potatoes, my friends, be sure to shop at the Pope County Farmer’s Market on Tuesday or Saturday down by the Russelville Train Depot.

Also, please check out their Facebook page Here and tell them you learned about them here from Keri!

Let’s Talk About the Potatoes!

They had two varieties available (Yukon Gold and a Small White Variety) that day I shopped. So naturally, I had to pick up some of each, right?

I mean, who can pass up new potatoes? Not this girl, that’s for sure!

There is nothing like a fresh potato straight from the farm to your table. If you haven’t had potatoes this fresh then you really need to run to the next farmer’s market day and hope they still have some.

You can totally thank me later!

I had a recipe in mind for these new potatoes the minute I saw them on the table at the Russell Family Farm booth, so when I saw both types of potatoes available, I decided on combining both them for this Herb Roasted Potatoes recipe.

Here’s a look at these tasty little potatoes as I was cutting them up for the recipe. You’ll notice the contrast in color there as well.

Tips for Roasting Potatoes to Perfection!

Raise your hand if you love extra-crispy roasted potatoes because I sure do! If you haven’t experienced it already then I’ll tell you this, sometimes it can be a bit tricky getting your potatoes crispy on the outside without overcooking them.

And nobody likes dried out potatoes, am I right?

Thankfully, there are a few things you can do as you are preparing your potatoes that will ensure you have the satisfying crunch on the outside but still keep the tender insides to your Herb Roasted Potatoes.

Here are some tips to help:

• Cut Your Potatoes Into Even Pieces:  It may seem like a simple thing, but it will make the biggest difference if you take the time to dice your potatoes up as close to the same size as possible.  Now, as you can see from my pictures some may not be exactly the same depending on the size of the potatoes your starting with. Just do the best you can. I recommend about 3/4-inch cubes, more or less.  This will help avoid having oven-roasted potatoes that are over or undercooked and while getting them nice and crispy.
• Soak Them Before Roasting: Once your potatoes are chopped, toss them into a large bowl.  Then cover the potatoes completely with ice-cold water and let them soak for around 30 minutes if you have the extra time. This may sound like an unnecessary step, but it helps rinse off the excess starch which helps the potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven. After you soak them drain and rinse them before doing one more important task… patting them completely dry.  Trust me, don’t skip this step!
• Don’t Over Crowd Your Roasting Pan: Once you add your potatoes to the baking sheet be sure you add them to your roasting pan in a nice even single layer.  If they are overlapping or all on top of each other, the potatoes on the bottom will more or less steam. Meaning they won’t have the chance to get as crispy.  So go for an even layer and try not to completely crowd the pan.  If needed use two pans to get them all roasting in one even layer.
• Bake at high heat: This will help the potatoes get nice and crispy also. I usually roast my potatoes at 425 degrees to achieve the perfect crispiness.
• Take the time to flip the potatoes:  Once the potatoes have baked halfway through I highly recommend that you take the time to give them a good ole flip.  I know, another step that takes extra time. I’ll be the first to admit that it isn’t a make it or break it step, but it truly pays off with crispy potatoes if you take the time to do it.

Now that I’ve shared some about the farmers, the potatoes, and given you some great tips let’s get to the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs Fresh New Potatoes
• 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon Parsley
• 1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste (added at the end of cooking)

Cooking Directions: 

• First, dice all the potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes or as evenly as possible.  Remember, it is important for the potatoes are uniformly sized for even cooking. After cutting them, add the potatoes to a large bowl of cold water and soak for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 425°F while you prepare your potatoes.
• Next, drain the potatoes and rinse them in more cold water, before transferring them some paper towels so you can blot the potatoes dry with a clean towel.
• Then you’ll need to drizzle the potatoes evenly with the olive oil and toss them until they are all coated evenly.
• After they are coated sprinkle the mixture of all the spices evenly over the bowl of potatoes, then toss until the potatoes coated in spices.
• Lastly, spread the potatoes out in an even layer a baking sheet.  Be sure that the potatoes are not overlapping, or else they will not cook evenly and will not get as crispy.
• Bake for 30 minutes.  Then remove the pan from the oven, and flip the potatoes with a spatula.  Rearrange again so that the potatoes are not overlapping.  Then bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and have begun to brown and caramelize a bit around the edges. Cooking times may vary due to oven differences.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and sprinkle potatoes generously with your desired amount of salt.  Let them cook or 5 minutes then serve immediately while still hot.