The ultimate Grilled Potato Side Dish. Perfectly seasoned with caramelized shallots and garlic… and the kale comes out crispy!
Steam, Toss, Fold, Grill!
Creamy Fingerling Potatoes are an excellent choice as a tasty side dish, their narrow size cooks quickly and marries with many flavors. Quickly steam them, slice in half, blend with assertive kale, garlic and shallots and fold up in foil packets drizzled with your favorite fruity extra virgin olive oil. Simply place on a hot grill and leave to develop a rust colored crust – this adds a fabulous rich flavor! The vegetables will all caramelize from the heat of the grill – lovely and tasty. This dish can be assembled early in the day and tossed on the grill when the family or company calls.
The kale will crisp up in the packets, exploding in a rich, assertive depth of flavor. When crisp, it’s almost transparent in color and a wonderful jolt of jade green. Beautifully crinkled with a ruffled texture – kale will add extra fiber and a dose of protein as well.
I have used Russian Banana fingerling variety, slender with an yellow hue. “Finger-shaped” and quick to cook. This heirloom potato has an earthy, buttery flavor and a good amount of starch – perfect for steaming and roasting. Originally cultivated in France, they have been available here since the 1950’s, and have been coming very popular since the 1980’s. Easily found by organic growers in farmers’ markets in a variety of shapes and beautiful marbled colors (another favorite: Rose Finn Apple with a beautiful rosy skin.)
Potatoes are one of the richest sources of starch, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Low in calories, they contain very little fat and no cholesterol. You may think of citrus fruits as the vitamin C powerhouses, but potatoes, including the skins, are good sources of this immunity-boosting vitamin. They provide good sources of potassium, iron and niacin – and half the fiber is in their skin.
