This fall I gave my son his first cookbook, and this was one of the first recipes he chose to make — and we’re so glad he did. These crunchy oven fries are simple, healthy, and so delicious that they make you forget you ever ate fries prepared any other way. You can make them with any kind of potato — my son chose an assortment of tri-colored mini potatoes, which added some nice color. I’ll admit that these taters did not grow in my garden; in fact, I have yet to ever grow any kind of potato in my garden. But they did come from someone’s garden (or farm), so I’m counting it. [Side note about tonight’s version of this recipe: I threw some sweet potatoes into the mix this evening, because they were dangerously close to going bad, and I needed to use them up. I generally love roasted sweet potatoes, but I have to admit that tonight’s combo wasn’t my favorite. The tri-colored potatoes are excellent on their own — they have a great crunch and are garlicky and salty. And the sweet potatoes are excellent on their own too — soft, sweet, and great with a little sour cream. But together, they did not shine. I think the flavor combinations competed with each other, so neither was the star. Next time, we’ll keep these as two separate recipes — sweet potatoes one week, tri-coloreds the next.] Without further ado, here’s the super-easy, super-delicious Parmesan Oven Fries:
Chop your potatoes, throw them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, fresh rosemary and a dash of salt. Give them a good toss with your hands, and roast at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
And voila, Parmesan Oven Fries. Crispy outside, soft inside, super flavorful.
Buen provecho!*
*****
Parmesan Oven Fries
Ingredients**:
Potatoes
Olive oil
Fresh garlic, finely chopped
Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
Sea salt
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Chop your potatoes into bite-sized slices or wedges (thinner for crispier fries), and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a couple spoonfuls of olive oil, then add the garlic, rosemary, cheese and salt to taste. Give it a toss with your hands until everything is evenly coated. Pop it in the oven and bake for 20 – 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Eat. Love.
* Thank you to the Mayo Clinic Kids’ Cookbook for this delicious recipe.
*****
* Buen Provecho: This is a beautiful saying we learned in Ecuador when we were adopting our son. There’s not a good literal translation from Spanish to English, because the loose translation — “Enjoy your meal” — doesn’t capture the full essence of the Spanish meaning. The verb “aprovechar” means to make the most of, or to receive the full benefit of something. Thus, when we say, “buen provecho,” it is offering our hope that the eater will receive the full benefits and advantages of the food we’ve prepared. And that’s my wish for my friends and family when I cook for them — that they will receive all the goodness the food offers.
** You’ll see that I often don’t designate specific quantities and measurements in my recipes. I do this because you know better than I do how much food your family needs and what your tastes are. Cooking isn’t an exact science, anyway — it’s more of an art. (Baking is another story — it actually is science — so I include measurements for my baking recipes.) So use whatever quantity you’d like, make changes to suit your tastes, and substitute ingredients to reflect what’s fresh in the garden and what’s available in your kitchen.
Comments