Parmesan Potato Halves
Ingredients
- 4 medium-size baking potatoes
- 2 T. margarine
- 1/4 t. dried basil or oregano
- 4 T. grated parmesan cheese
- paprika
Preparation
1. Scrub potatoes and cut in half lengthwise.
2. Place margarine in a pie plate. Microwave on high 40 seconds or until melted.
3. Dip cut-side of potatoes in margarine. Sprinkle with basil, cheese and paprika.
4. In a glass baking dish, arrange potatoes in a circle and microwave on high 10 to 12 minutes, rotating twice during cooking, or until center can
- Serves 4 as a side dish
From Colander to Classroom
An Educational Experience
Potato - Solanum tuberosum
The potato is an herbaceous annual that grows up to 40 inches tall and produces a tuber - also called potato - rich in starch. It is a member of the nightshade family and its leaves are mildly poisonous!
The potato has its roots in South America. Pre-Columbian farmers discovered and cultivated the potato some 7,000 years ago. Western man did not come in contact with the potato until the 1530's when the Conquistadors travelled through Peru.
It was about 1570 that the first potato made its way across the Atlantic to make a start on the continent of Europe. In the Spanish Colonies potatoes were considered food for the underclasses and were used primarily to feed hospital inmates.
About 1780 the people of Ireland adopted the potato for its ability to produce abundant, nutritious food. Potatoes contain most of the vitamins needed for sustenance and can provide this sustenance to nearly 10 people on an acre of land. This contributed to a population explosion in the early 1800s. By the mid-1800's the Irish would become so dependent upon this crop that its failure would provoke a famine.
Today, the potato is so common, plentiful and pervasive in the Western diet that it is taken for granted. We forget that it has only been with us for a few hundred years.
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