Recipe: Potato and Onion Wedges

I keep a file of recipes clipped along the way.  They range from old New York Times Magazine recipes by Molly O’Neill to the ones from the utility companies, like PG&E, which were included in the newsletter that accompanies the monthly bill. Who made up those recipes?  Did they have home economists on staff whose sole wacky purpose it was to come up with recipes that used a lot of fuel to prepare?   Was there a set of guidelines that established that no recipe would be acceptable unless it took at least an hour to bake at 350 degrees?   Perhaps that is how ‘Potato Wedges’ was born.  So easy, so delicious.  Sunday night I served it with fried chicken.  Tonight with a pan-fried rib-eye steak.

POTATO AND ONION WEDGES

1 red onion, peeled and cut into quarters

4 large Russet potatoes, washed, dried and cut into quarters lengthwise

Canola oil

Seasoned Salt (Schillings Brand)*

Garlic powder*

Freshly ground black pepper

Kendall Farms Crème Fraiche

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss together onion, potatoes and enough canola oil to coat well.
2. Sprinkle with plenty of seasoned salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
3. Toss and pour onto a large baking sheet.
4. Bake for one hour.  Check at 30 minutes to flip over wedges.  The potatoes are done when they are slightly puffy and golden.  The onions will be a deep caramel color.  Yummy.  Serve in bowls with a big dollop of Kendall Farms Crème Fraiche on top.

Yield: 2 – 3 big servings

*Food Snobs Note: Ingredients like seasoned salt and garlic powder have been around for a long time for a reason.  They are tasty and they are convenient.  Just think of them as ‘rubs’.

Comments

[Karletta]

Creampuff, What a wonderful memory! I had a feeling that there was a story behind those recipes. Thanks for sharing this with us. Glad you are enjoying the muse....

[creampuff]

I recently found your site and have been enjoying reading about your experiences and memories.

20 years ago I worked at PG&E helping to publicize energy conservation and I worked with a fantastic little group of women who were trained home economists. They had their own kitchen and a wall of cookbooks and daily answered basic cooking questions from callers throughout the state.

Their job was also to develop recipes. In my years, they worked to test and develop recipes that would use LESS energy (such as a complete meal you could cook in the oven) or how to bake a cake without preheating the oven, etc.

They were wonderful, warm women from another time and place, all much older than I was then (or even now).

Working with them was a great experience and one I still cherish.

[Karletta]

Thanks so much for your kind words. Hope your new kitchen is up and running soon!

[milgwimper]

Hmmm that sounds really good, and I will have to try it after I move and get my kitchen settled till then I can dream. Dried garlic is a staple here in this family. We have the big Costco containers of the stuff, and we buy fresh garlic like it's goin' outta style. My husband used to joke (he's from outta state) that we put garlic in everything even ice cream, and then I took him to Gilroy...^_^ I really enjoy reading your blog, and for some lame reason it took me til now to write and tell you how much I enjoy it. Well I do, and thank you.

[Kathy]

Glad you're back to cooking solid foods again.

Mmmm, mmmm, comfort food at its finest. And if you can get really fresh potatoes, even better. The kind that still have dirt on them, at the farmer's market. Talk about potato-y!

Garlic powder is one of my most often reached for jars in the spice cabinet. What could possibly be the matter with a little "sun-dried garlic"?

Sure wish my local markets carried Kendall Farms creme fraiche.