there are many varieties of potato all of which have different uses in cooking. choosing the right...

There are many varieties of potato all of which have different uses in cooking. Choosing the right one for each recipe is important to achieve the taste and texture that’s required.

Q Are the potato varieties available all of the year?

A No. There are ‘new potatoes’ or ’earlies’ which are available in shops around May. These are followed by ‘second earlies’ usually available around July and ‘main crop’ which are in the shops about September.

(Key Stage 1: Science: Sc1 1, 2b Sc2 5a Key Stage 2: Science: Sc1 1a 2a Sc2 1c)

Q Can you get a particular variety of potato ‘out of season’?

A Yes! Potatoes are often stored in refrigerated warehouses until needed.

(Key Stage 1: Science: Sc1 1, 2b Sc2 5a Key Stage 2: Science: Sc1 1a 2a Sc2 1c)

Individual Work (10-15 mins)

Key Questions: What can all these varieties of potato be used for?

Activity:

Various uses for the potato varieties will be explored in other activities. However, a different activity is to hand out the ‘Potato varieties’ sheet below and ask the pupils to see what anagrams they can make out of the various names.

To extend this activity, each pupil could mix the real potato variety names with some of their anagrams and pass the ‘list’ to other pupils in the class. Then, without referring to the original list of potato varieties, see if they can identify the ‘real’ varieties.

(Key Stage 1: English: En3 1a b c d e f Key Stage2: English: En3 1a b c d e)

Potato Varieties

See what anagrams (a word or phrase formed from the letters of another word) you can make from the following potato varieties:

For example: CARA A Car

CHARLOTTE -----------------------------MARFONA -----------------------------ESTIMA -----------------------------NICOLA -----------------------------SAXON -----------------------------KING EDWARD -----------------------------ROMANO -----------------------------MARIS PIPER -----------------------------DESIREE -----------------------------NADINE -----------------------------MARIS PEER -----------------------------

Not all potato varieties have the same texture. Waxy potatoes are firmer and usually hold their shape, while floury potatoes are softer and can break up more easily when cooked. Potato varieties are based on a scale of being either very waxy, extremely floury or somewhere in between.

WAXY FLOURY

Q What is the difference between a waxy potato and a floury one?

A Waxy potatoes tend to hold their shape during cooking and are often used for boiling, chipping and baking. Floury potatoes, being softer and liable to crumble slightly, are ideal for mashing, boiling and roasting.

(Key Stage 1: Science: Sc2 3a b c Key Stage 2: Science: Sc2 3a b c)

Q Are there any potato varieties that are not waxy or floury?

A There are several varieties that are considered as ‘general’ or ‘all purpose’ potatoes and are suitable for most forms of cooking. Some of these varieties include King Edward, Desiree and Maris Piper.


Small Group Work (20-25 minutes)

Key Question: How can you tell the difference between a waxy and floury potato?

Activity:

You will need to have access to the British Potato Council web site: http://www.britishpotatoes.co.uk/varieties.asp

In small groups, the pupils can examine the information on the web site regarding potato varieties. The pupils must decide how to design and produce a poster that explains the difference between a waxy and floury potato, then produce a ‘waxy-floury’ scale with examples of potato varieties indicated along the scale. The information must be clear and simple with pictures and charts providing the relevant details in a creative way.


http://www.britishpotatoes.co.uk/varieties.asp

http://www.britishpotatoes.co.uk/varieties.asp

Selecting the most appropriate variety of potato for a recipe can make all the difference to the look and taste of the meal. But, getting the best results from potatoes means you need to know how to cook them!

Questions:

Q Is there a ‘best way’ to cook potatoes?

A Oven baking is possibly the healthiest way to cook potatoes. This is also the best way to cook chips. Just make the chips big and chunky so that they absorb less fat and have fluffier insides.

(Key Stage 1: PSHE & Citizenship 3a Key Stage 2: PSHE & Citizenship 3a)

Q Are the potato skins safe to eat?

A When washed and cleaned potato skins are nutritious and an excellent source of dietary fibre.



Key Question: How easy is it to cook potatoes?

Activity:Distribute the ‘Baked Potato Dinosaurs’ handout to each group. The handout contains all the ingredients needed for preparing and cooking this potato recipe. The pupils need to look at the jumbled list of instructions and reorganise them into the correct sequence.

The correct sequence is contained in the second handout.

The pupils should follow this part of the activity by rewriting the instructions in their own words and then present their ‘instructions’ to another pupil from a different group. This can be done either verbally or a s a written exercise.

How easy was it to follow the rewritten instructions? Is it easier to follow written or verbal instructions?

The pupils can take the completed, and correctly sequenced recipe home where they can cook ‘Baked Potato Dinosaurs’ with the supervision of an adult.

Further potato recipes can be found at www.britishpotaoes.co.uk

(Key Stage 1: English En2 2a b c Key Stage 2: English En2 2a b c d 3a b c d e)

http://www.britishpotaoes.co.uk/

Baked Potato Dinosaurs

Here is the list of ingredients for the preparation and cooking of the Baked Potato Dinosaurs. Unfortunately the instructions have become jumbled. Can you reorganise them into the correct sequence?

Ingredients

* 4 small to medium sized baking potatoes * olive oil for brushing* 250g/9oz cauliflower florets * 10g/2tsp butter* 1 tbsp plain flour * 125ml/4oz milk* 75g/3oz cheddar cheese, grated * freshly ground black pepper* 1 green pepper * 1 red pepper* 1 yellow pepper * 1 stoned black olive

Rearrange the Directions:

1 Arrange the potatoes on serving plates. Push the dinosaur's neck into the potatoes and attach the grilled wedges for the tails.

2 Cut one-third off the top of the potatoes using a sharp knife. Scoop out most of the potato flesh leaving a shell about ½ cm/1/4 inch thick all around.

3 Prick the potatoes in several places, place in a circle on kitchen paper on a microwave tray and cook on high in the microwave for approx. 10 minutes or until tender.

4 Meanwhile, blanch the cauliflower in a pan of boiling water for about 5 minutes.

5 Use the peppers and olives as desired to make the potatoes look like dinosaurs

6 Pre-heat the grill. Pile the cauliflower cheese mixture back into the potato shells and put these onto the baking sheet together with the wedges for the dinosaurs tail. Sprinkle the stuffed potatoes and the tail wedges with the remaining cheese and cook under the grill for a few minutes until golden.

7 Mix the potato flesh together with the cauliflower cheese. Cut the tops of the potatoes in half to make two wedges - one for the dinosaur's neck and head and one for the tail.

8 Drain the cauliflower, chop into pieces and mix with the cheese sauce.

9 Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring for one minute. Whisk in the milk a little at a time, bring to the boil and cook stirring until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Stir in half the cheese until melted and season with a little pepper.

Baked Potato Dinosaurs

1. Prick the potatoes in several places, place in a circle on kitchen paper on a microwave tray and cook on high in the microwave for approx. 10 minutes or until tender.

2. Meanwhile, blanch the cauliflower in a pan of boiling water for about 5 minutes.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring for one minute. Whisk in the milk a little at a time, bring to the boil and cook stirring until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Stir in half the cheese until melted and

season with a little pepper.

4. Drain the cauliflower, chop into pieces and mix with the cheese sauce.

5. Cut one-third off the top of the potatoes using a sharp knife. Scoop out most of the potato flesh leaving a shell about ½ cm/1/4 inch thick all around.

6. Mix the potato flesh together with the cauliflower cheese. Cut the tops of the potatoes in half to make two wedges - one for the dinosaur's neck and head and one for the tail.

7. Pre-heat the grill. Pile the cauliflower cheese mixture back into the potato shells and put these onto the baking sheet together with the wedges for the dinosaurs tail. Sprinkle the stuffed potatoes and the tail wedges with the remaining cheese and cook under the grill for a few minutes until golden.

8. Arrange the potatoes on serving plates. Push the dinosaur's neck into the potatoes and attach the grilled wedges for the tails.

9. Use the peppers and olives as desired to make the potatoes look like dinosaurs

Potatoes are an extremely versatile vegetable. They can be prepared and cooked on their own or added to other recipes to form a nutritious and tasty meal.

Q Could you eat potatoes for every meal?A It’s certainly possible! For instance, you could have potato waffles for breakfast, baked potato brunch for lunch, vegetarian shepherds pie for tea followed by chocolate potato cake (although this wouldn’t make a balanced diet!).


Q Can you do anything with potatoes apart from eat them?

A Of course! Lots of pupils in schools use potatoes in Art to make potato prints. And, the Inca Indians of Peru believed potatoes to have medicinal qualities and rubbed them on the skin of sick patients as a remedy. Starch is now being used to make a variety of products such as cartons, packaging, textiles and paints!


Individual Work (15-20 minutes)

Key Question: How versatile are potatoes?

Activity:

Based on a jacket potato, ask the pupils to create a special filling. The filling can be on a particular theme, for example: a turkey and cranberry filling for Christmas or prawn and mixed vegetables for harvest time. The filling could be for a birthday party or to remember a favourite holiday destination.

Ask the pupils to vote for their favourite creative fillings and, for the top five fillings, divide the class into small groups and ask each group to choose one of the top five fillings and produce a set of instructions on how to prepare that filling.

(Key Stage 1: Design and Technology: 1a b c d e 3a b Key Stage 2: Design and Technology: 1a b c d 2a b c)

Potatoes are packed full of lots of important vitamins and minerals. They are a great low fat energy source, that help you grow, play sport and generally keep active.

Bread, other cereals and potatoes

Milk and dairy foods

Fatty and sugary foods

Meat, fish and alternatives

Fruit and vegetables

Q What is a ‘healthy balanced diet’?

A A ‘healthy balanced diet’ is the proportion and types of food that your body needs to keep healthy. A healthy diet is based on breads, potatoes, and other cereals and is rich in fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet will include moderate amounts of milk

and dairy products, meat, fish or meat/milk alternatives, and limited amounts of foods containing fat or sugar.


Q Can I just eat chips and crisps?

A Chips and crisps are made from real potato and, although they are higher in fat, they will still provide some of your daily nutrients. Like any food these should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy balanced diet.



Key Question: What foods combine to make a healthy balanced diet?

Activity:

Based on the handout ‘A Healthy Balanced Diet’, ask each group to list their favourite foods and suggest where they would ‘fit’ into each category.

The pupils might like to design their own ‘Healthy Plate’ using paper plates (to display when completed) or cut-out pictures from magazines to paste onto their ‘plates’. For more information please visit www.nutrition.org.uk


http://www.nutrition.org.uk/

Some suggested food types:

Fruit and vegetables: Apples, bananas, cherries, figs, melon, strawberries, satsumas, pineapples, oranges, lemons, apricots, carrot, mushroom, garlic, leek, onion, turnip, peas, courgette, broccoli, cucumber, tomato, peppers, cauliflower.

Bread, other cereals and potatoes: Rice, baked potato, cornflakes, toast.

Meat, fish and alternatives: Eggs, chicken, sausages, fish fingers, ham, burgers.

Fatty and sugary foods: Orange squash, crisps, biscuits, chocolate, ice-cream, chips.

Milk and dairy foods: Yoghurt, cheese, milkshake,

Potatoes are great at keeping you healthy. They are low in fat and packed full of vitamins and minerals, virtually fat-free, contain no cholesterol and are a great source of fibre. So versatile, they can form part of lots of meals.

Starch

Iron

Potassium Folate

Protein

Dietary Fibre

B Vitamins

Vitamin C

A potato is less than 1% fat

Q Do potatoes really contain vitamin C?

A Yes! A medium portion of new potatoes (175g) will provide 26% of your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of this vital vitamin.


Q How much fibre is there in a potato?

A A baked potato in its skin contains more fibre than two slices of wholemeal bread.



Key Question: How good are potatoes for you?

Activity:In conjunction with the handout ‘The Nutritious Potato’, ask each group to write creative slogans that promote eating potatoes as part of a healthy diet.

The slogans should explore some of the following techniques:

AlliterationFor example: Pack a potato

Bite a bake

Poetry and RhymeFor example: Pack a potato every day

Keep healthy in every wayFruit and veg are greatOnly couch potatoes get in a state

An acrosticFor example: Potatoes

OnTablesAtTea…Outstanding!

(Key Stage 1: English: En3 1a b c d e f 2a b c d 7a b c Key Stage 2: English: En3 1a b c d e 2a b c d e f 7a b c d)

there are many varieties of potato all of which have different uses in cooking. choosing the right...

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