Cilantro Spud Smash (AKA "Irish Road Kill")

Consider the humble potato.  This remarkable food is a starchy tuber from a perennial plant that was originally domesticated in the Andes region of Peru about 10,000 years ago.  Potatoes were introduced outside the Andes region only about 400 years ago, but they have become an integral part of much of the world's cuisine. It is the world's fourth-largest food crop, following rice, wheat, and maize.  On average every human on earth consumes 73 pounds of potatoes every year.

Potatoes sometimes get a bad rap because they are high in starch and are often broadly classified as high on the glycemic index (GI).  In fact, the GI of potatoes varies a lot depending on type, origin, preparation methods, and accompaniments.  In any case, potatoes are quite nutritious.  Humans can survive healthily on a diet of potatoes supplemented only with milk or butter (which contain the only two vitamins not provided by potatoes--vitamins A and D).  Since potatoes consist primarily of starches they are sometimes avoided for their lack of fiber.  However, a significant portion of their starch is resistant to digestion by enzymes in the stomach and small intestine, and so reaches the large intestine essentially intact. This resistant starch is considered to have similar physiological effects and health benefits as fiber: It provides bulk, offers protection against colon cancer, improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lowers plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, increases satiety, and possibly even reduces fat storage.  BTW, cooking and then cooling potatoes significantly increases this resistant starch. For example, cooked potatoes contain about 7% resistant starch, but that increases to about 13% when cooled.

Nearly all potatoes are produced relatively locally.  Due to their perishability, only about 5% of the world's potato crop is traded internationally (their minimal presence in world financial speculative futures markets contributed to their stable pricing during the 2007–2008 world food price crisis).  Because potatoes are a nutritious, cheap, and plentiful crop, that grow in a wide variety of climates and locales, the United Nations officially declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato to raise its profile in developing nations, calling the crop a "hidden treasure".

Potatoes are very versatile.  They can be baked, boiled, fried, diced, mashed, cut into strips, used to thicken soups, added to bread dough as a zero-fat softener etc.  One of my recent favorite things to do with potatoes is to make what we decided to call a "Spud Smash" (this is sometimes called "Irish Road Kill" but that was too indelicate a term to use when we call the family to dinner so that  had to go!).  It's a baked potato roughly smashed and topped with olive oil, spices, and cheese, then rebaked.

Here's how to make a Cilantro Spud Smash:

• Potatoes (one or two per person depending on size and whether it is the main course or a side)
• Olive Oil
• Minced Garlic
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Fresh Cilantro
• Grated Cheese

Wash and pierce the potatoes.   Cook them in the microwave until they are soft (2 - 4 minutes per potato depending on the size of the potatoes and the power of the microwave).  Smash them roughly onto a lined cookie sheet with a small plate (to keep from burning your hand).  Brush on a generous amount of olive oil, sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro, and cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees fahrenheit until the cheese bubbles and browns.  

Serve hot with meat and salad, or eat cold for a picnic.  Enjoy!