Potato Days.

Next one - this Thursday, February 13, 2014, St Paul's Church Hall, Malmesbury Road Chippenham, which is 13 miles east of Bath and 101 miles west of London. Here, let me draw you a map. This is where you wll find some of the Best Varieties for growing in your own edible garden:

BEST VARIETIES ‘Ratte’ – aka ‘Asparges’ or ‘Cornichon’ – Early maincrop. An old (1872) fingerling variety (long and thin) that keeps its shape well when cooked. More importantly, its distinctive chestnut flavour becomes even more pronounced when eaten cold or just-warm in salads. ‘Roseval’ – Second early. A waxy salad potato from the Fifties, with a dark red Skin and a deep yellow flesh with a mild, buttery flavour. ‘Charlotte’ – Second early. A fairly new and reliable variety (inset), widely grown commercially. Can produce rather large tubers. ‘Belle de Fontenay’ – Second early An old (1885) variety that is hugely popular here and in France. Really flavoursome and with a superb waxy texture. ‘Cherie’ – First early A fabulous, recent variety with beautiful deep rose skin and a yellow, waxy flesh. Delicious, perfect for salads and fine sautéed too. ‘Cheyenne’ – Second early A recent, red-skinned, yellow-fleshed salad variety with a fine flavour. If you are overrun with salad potatoes, leave these to mature. ‘Bleu D’Auvergne’. Main crop. A classic French heirloom with a purple-blue skin and waxy white flesh. Purées perfectly thanks to its fine-grained texture. Not to be confused with, but very happy to be eaten with, the cheese of the same name. ‘Coquine’ – Second early A new variety that’s a bit of a hedge-your-bets choice as it’s bred for resistance to late blight but has all the fine flavour you’d expect of a French salad variety.

Potato Days: very British, Mate...Love... Duck... Petit chou... Chuchuzinho... Tamago gata no kao... Terron de azucar... Buah hatiku... Ma puce... Ghazal... Chang noi... Chen yu luo yan... Golubushka

Old bean.