Reasonable Size Baking Potatoes (where to buy?)

[MikeR]

I can comfortably eat maybe half to two-thirds of the typical grapefruit-sized grocery store Russet potato out of the bin, and more than one (but less than two) of the size potatoes that come in a 5 pound bag. Doesn't anyone pick potatoes at about 8-10 ounces any more?

I'm trying to cut down on my starches (and honestly, to me a baked potato is a darn good excuse to eat sour cream) so I'm inclined to have a potato maybe once every ten days to two weeks so I haven't investigated what I can do with a left over half potato.

What to do? Do local (FC area preferably) farmer's markets have what I'm seeking?

[dag44]

I always bake extra potatoes to do something else with.
You could bake one large, eat half, then save the other half to dice up for home fries later in the week. shred the leftover half with a little cheese and scallion, form into a cake, and cook it slowly in a little butter to give it a nice crust. Lots of possibilities with half a potato. Have fun.

[ciaohound]

dag44 has it right. Leftover baked potatoes make the best home fries. Our all time favorite is to ensure a next day little left over steak along with the leftover potato. Fry up some onions with the potatoes, some red bell pepper as well if you like, and toss in the steak cut into small pieces at the last minute so as not to overcook, and top with a poached or sunny side up fried egg. Great breakfast or other meal the next day.

[MikeR]

Thanks for the suggestions for leftover baked potato. Unfortunately, if it's on the plate, I'll eat it, so there's rarely leftovers. Also, a potato cut in half doesn't do a good job of holding the sour cream. ;)

[gregb]

Cut it in half longways!

[pigtowner]

I don't know what the FC area is, but the JFX farmer's market in Baltimore has all sorts of potatoes. I got some really delicious ones the other day that would be a perfect size for you I think.

[Hal Laurent]

Mike's in or around Falls Church, so the farmer's market in Baltimore wouldn't be terribly convenient.

[pigtowner]

I see, FC=Falls Church. I'm not down with the non-Baltimore abbreviations.

Thanks :)

[ArtichokeGirl]

Trader Joe's has bags of baking potatoes in small and average sizes. A bag is generally about $3, which is about the price of 2 from Whole Foods! They taste great too.

[MikeR]

The bags at Trader Joe's contain about the same size potatoes as the other grocery stores. There are a few that are almost big enough but most are too small to bake well, and it takes more than one for me to feel like I've had a baked potato, but I don't want to eat two.

Maybe I should be asking for creative things to do with half a small baked potato. ;)

[Hal Laurent]

In my neighborhood (Baltimore) I am way more likely to find reasonably sized baking potatoes at Whole Foods than I am at Safeway. If you have a Whole Foods near you you might try there.

[MikeR]

I do have a Whole Foods reasonably near by. I'll take a look next time I'm there if I can remember. I usually cruise right by the produce department because of the prices, but I suppose a potato that's 25% more expensive and 50% smaller than Safeway is still a good deal for me.