Modern potato recipes – Őrség salad, bacon potato dumplings and sheep cheese jack potato

In February, seasonal fruits and vegetables

Jerusalem artichoke: Sunchoke or, as it's elegantly called, Jerusalem artichoke can be a great ingredient for either a warm soup or a fresh salad. Moreover, it's full of components that have beneficial effects on the body – it has roughly 6 times more fiber than potatoes, and thanks to its composition, it reduces the absorption of carbohydrates, doesn't cause bloating, but promotes digestion since it contains little starch.

Medlar: The medlar, which is rare these days, belongs to the Rosaceae family, and its close relatives are pears and apples. Its fruit flesh, which tastes like sweet chestnut and has a jam-like consistency, can be enjoyed after frost, so we don't have to give it up in January either. Moreover, it has healing effects on health, as it strengthens bones, protects the digestive system, and due to its abundant antioxidants, it boosts the body's immune system.

Sloe: Surprisingly, sloe is one of the most widely distributed plants, as it's only missing from the northernmost parts of Europe and the island of Iceland. Its fruit can be used for many purposes: tea, flavoring for baked goods, sauce for game meats, liqueur.

Potato: The potato is perhaps one of the most widespread vegetables in the world, as it grows easily, is weather-resistant, and has countless uses. It arrived in Hungary in the 17th century, and became extremely popular due to tax incentives. Although it now has more than a hundred varieties, according to culinary use it can be divided into three groups: salad potatoes, boiling potatoes, and baking potatoes. We now present a modern recipe for each of these three categories.

For salad - Őrség pumpkin seed oil potato salad

Ingredients:

• 1 kg potatoes
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• salt, pepper
• 5 tbsp pumpkin seed oil
• 4 red onions
• 300 g cherry tomatoes

We've been to Őrség before, and we can't hide the fact that we were instantly enchanted by the harmony and naturalness that characterizes that region of Hungary, especially at the Pajta bistro, so here's a very simple Őrség salad that will take us away to a more remote corner of the country.

Preparation:

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender, then peel them. Mix the mustard with the vinegar, season with salt and pepper, then while stirring constantly, slowly add the pumpkin seed oil.
2. Halve the tomatoes, combine all the elements with the sliced red onions, then pour over the cooked potatoes and toss the salad thoroughly. And voilà, our simple yet magnificent salad is ready.

For boiling - Bacon and mushroom potato dumplings

Ingredients:

• 500 g potatoes
• 1 tsp nutmeg (ground is fine if you don't have fresh)
• salt, pepper
• 100 g cornstarch
• butter
• 130 g brown mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 5 slices bacon (pre-packaged, sliced)
• salt, pepper
• thyme
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• garlic (optional)
• salt, pepper
• kale (optional)

Preparation:

1. To make the potato dumplings, first peel the potatoes and cut them in half. Pour cold water into a pot, salt it lightly, add the potatoes, and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
2. While the potatoes cook, prepare the filling. Chop the onion, mushroom, and bacon finely. Fry the bacon in a pan with a little oil, then add the onion, followed by the mushroom, and simmer them gently. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme, then set aside.
3. When the potatoes are done, drain the water and put them back on the heat for about 30 seconds to evaporate any excess moisture. Press them one by one through a ricer into a bowl, then add a little nutmeg, salt, pepper, cornstarch, and a little butter. Mix well; it will be slightly sticky, but you should get one large dumpling mass.
4. Bring a pot of water with a little salt to a boil, but very importantly, after it reaches a boil, reduce the heat so the water just simmers.
5. Now for the filling: pinch off a small piece of the dumpling mixture, flatten it in the palm of your hand, and add the mushroom filling. (Be careful not to add too much filling.) Seal it carefully, pinch off any extra dough, and shape nice dumplings. Repeat until all the dumpling mixture is used.
6. Once done, place them in the simmering water and cover. When they float to the surface, wait a few more minutes before removing them.
7. Finally, prepare the sauce. In a pan with butter, sauté a bunch of finely chopped parsley with a little garlic, and optionally you can also do the same with a bit of kale, then season with salt and pepper. Once ready, serve the dumplings on kale, drizzle with the sauce.

For baking - Jacket potato

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes
• 200 g sheep cheese
• one large handful Parmesan
• 100 ml cream
• pepper
• chives

Preparation:

1. Place the whole potatoes on a baking tray and bake in a 200°C oven for 10 minutes.
2. Then remove the potatoes from the oven and wrap each one in aluminum foil. Put the potatoes back in the oven for another 30-40 minutes.
3. While the potatoes bake, prepare the filling. Mix together the sheep cheese, Parmesan, minced garlic, cream, and pepper.
4. Remove the potatoes from the oven, cut a cross into them or hollow out the insides, and fill with the sheep cheese filling. Before putting them back in the oven, sprinkle with Parmesan.
5. Put them back in the oven for five minutes, then serve with a little chives.