Two bags of potatoes were sitting on my counter. One was organic and the other conventional, which I almost never buy. The organic ones get eaten pretty quickly here, but this last bag sat for nearly two weeks, so it contained a few potatoes that were beginning to sprout. The conventional ones have been sitting on my counter for two months, not a sprout anywhere. That says it all. If they are so highly treated with chemicals that they can't grow, it's not a good idea to eat them.
Potatoes are root vegetables, so they absorb herbicides, pesticides and fungicides that end up in the soil. During the growing season they're treated with pesticides, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated to prevent them from sprouting.
In order to use up my organic taters before the rest sprouted, I came up with this simple, creamy, vegan gratin. I used just half of a jalapeno, I don't like too much heat. Adjust it to suit your own tastes.
Here's a picture before baking:
April 17, 2024
