I spent two weeks last month in B.C., camping on a farm and cooking farm-to-table dinners. I try to do this every year, as it's always a valuable reminder of how much work, sweat and tears go into the food we put into our mouths. It makes me respect the products I work with that much more.
Another wonderful thing about being on small farms is coming across heirloom products that you can't find in the grocery store. This year, Zack, the farmer I was working with, introduced me to the Makah Ozette, a potato steeped in history. The Ozette has been a staple in the diet of the Makah Indians of Washington for over 200 years, ever since it was introduced to them by Spanish explorers in the 1700s.
The potato also happens to be buttery and delicious when young. I ended up making a batch into a simple but flavourful salad, with kettle chips for an unexpected complexity and richness. The potatoes need to be very vinegary to balance the richness of the chips.
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