I remember living in Tulsa, starting our very first garden.
I’d researched raised bed gardens and started the garden from scratch – hammer, nails, dirt…the whole deal, beginning to end. It was one of the best workouts I’ve ever had — getting ALL that dirt from the front yard to the back, up and down a little hill each way, with the world’s most rickety wheel barrel. Mr. P was out of town and I was dead-set on having all the soil moved before he returned home the following day. I remember very specifically that I hadn’t eaten dinner, didn’t change out of my scrubs after work, and wore blisters – bad blisters – deep into the palms of my hands, working well into the dark of the steamy, summer night.
We stayed in that house 1 summer, but I had no regrets over the efforts made to start my very first garden. We learned a ton about gardening and Tulsa was a great climate for a long growing season. We grew a lot – potatoes, green beans, squash, carrots, tomatoes…. It was rewarding for sure.
In Ohio, we opted for planters on our deck. Our backyard had beautiful landscaping and less-than-optimal sun exposure, so there we grew eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and herbs. If you follow along, it was the herbs I talked about not dying in Michigan that I brought with us from Ohio. 😉
Last year’s hot Michigan summer, produced beautiful, flavorful, and PLENTIFUL tomatoes. But this brisk summer? Not so much. We should’ve planted potatoes!
Not only are potatoes a great cold weather vegetable to grow, but they’re little surprises growing beneath the ground that you can finally get a glimpse of when their leaves above ground die off (growing potatoes is a test of patience for those as impatient as myself!). So fun. And who doesn’t love potatoes?!
And not that I don’t love potatoes as is (nom!), but this recipe that included not only pesto, but BACON and ranch seasoning caught my attention. I just couldn’t shake the craving for these slightly sinful cubes of potato heaven. You WON’T be disappointed, especially if you’re patient enough to let them crisp up to perfection!
- 3 lbs red potatoes, cubed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup prepared pesto
- 1 Tbsp dry ranch seasoning mix
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp pepper pepper
- 5 strips nitrate-free bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Add potatoes to a large bowl followed by olive oil and pesto; toss until evenly coated. Add ranch seasoning, onion powder, and pepper; toss well. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes or until tender and golden in some places, stirring half way through.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle bacon over the top.
This recipe is amazing. If you want to learn how to make potatoes delicious. THis is the one.