At this time of year, nobody really wants to be stuck in the kitchen cooking dinner, and often my own kids don’t seem that hungry. Hot days are often filled with bowls of strawberries, ice creams and plenty of drinks to cool down. These additional snacks often mean that no one feels up to eating much, that is until they smell dinner cooking.
During the summer months I find myself cooking old reliables. Healthy, fast-to-prepare dishes with just a few ingredients that everyone will love. Utilising leftovers from a previous dinner adds bonus points.
Spanish tortillas are one such dish. Any time I have leftover roast vegetables they get added, or a solitary courgette, a handful of mushrooms or some leftover boiled potatoes. I absolutely love new potatoes, they’re such a comfort food. Scrubbed clean then boiled, with a few sprigs of mint to the cooking water. Butter and salt are all that’s needed when serving a big bowl of potatoes on the table.
My paternal grandad was a potato farmer, and my very first job was as a potato picker. I think I was about 12 years old and saved up all summer for my very first pair of Levi jeans. I’m always so nonchalant around St Patrick’s Day when my own dad is telling me to get spuds planted. I always intend on planting some, and only remember when he’s handing me a bucket of his own perfect potatoes, freshly dug from the garden. It’s like magic.
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My best piece of advice is when you do buy a bag of Wexford queens or your own locally grown potatoes, just make sure to cook the entire 2kg bag. Leftover new potatoes are such a blessing. They can be cut into bite size pieces and mixed with mayonnaise and chives for an instant potato salad, or you can fry them in oil or roast them in the oven thickly sliced to make speedy roast potatoes.
My kids love them in this classic Spanish tortilla. They’re best slightly firm for this, so just slice them thickly once cold and proceed with the recipe. I love the sweetness of the caramelised onion relish in this simple dish. I use a red onion relish made here in Cork by Folláin. It uses black garlic and balsamic vinegar for a sticky piquant relish that’s slightly sweet despite having no sugar added. Instead they use apples and grape juice. It’s widely available nationwide.
This tortilla is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner with a big green salad, but is equally delicious for breakfast.
