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    Home » Kids' Picks

    Published: Jan 2, 2014 · Modified: Feb 21, 2022 by Dana Shrager · This post may contain affiliate links

    Homestyle Crispy Potatoes Recipe from Cerasa Farm in Italy

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    Homestyle, Crispy Potatoes from Rural Italy | FoodieGoesHealthy.com
    Way up in the Garfagnana hills of Tuscany, Italy lies Cerasa Farm, a magical sheep farm owned by Mario and Gemma Cavani. Both the owners and the property were enchanting. The Cavani's are warm and welcoming. We enjoyed Gemma's home cooking, and I have a potato recipe of hers to share. But first I want to tell you about this special place.

    Cerasa is a small, family-run farm about 3-½ hours northwest of Florence, Italy and way off the beaten path. This is where time stands still.

    A Day at Cerasa Farm, Italy | FoodieGoesHealthy.comThe property is filled with picturesque green hills and ancient chestnut trees. During the visit I was in awe of the natural beauty and felt blanketed by tranquility. A sense of relaxation came over my family, and none of us wanted to leave.

    Like the generations before them, the Cavani family milks their sheep twice a day, 365 days a year. These sheep are an old, rare breed being kept alive by the efforts of the family. With the milk Gemma makes pecorino cheese and ricotta by hand. Their daughter Ombretta dyes the sheep wool and makes sweaters and scarves to sell. They have their own vegetable garden and chickens to provide food for themselves. They lease out their chestnut trees to beekeepers who collect the honey. Others in the area harvest the chestnuts to make chestnut flour. This year the trees are plagued by a serious virus that threatens their future. The Cavani family is involved in a campaign to save the chestnut trees.

    Being a city girl, I was fascinated to glimpse into a whole different way of life where people live off of the land. Food is a big part of the culture, and people produce ingredients in small batches by hand with skill and love that is passed from one generation to the next. The future of these artisan foods is uncertain if subsequent generations do not continue the family craft. Many of the producers I visited (like the Cavani's) were older people without a clear sense of who would continue their business. I hope the younger generation steps in to continue these special and tasty traditions.

    One of the highlights of our visit to the sheep farm was making cheese and witnessing the whole small-batch artisanal process. My kids who are cheese lovers got to stir the pot.

    Making Cheese and Ricotta @ Cerasa Farm | FoodieGoesHealthy.com

    After making pecorino cheese and ricotta, we toured the cellar underneath the ancient stone house. Here they age cheese and salumi.

    Making Cheese and Ricotta @ Cerasa Farm | FoodieGoesHealthy.com

    Then Gemma and Ombretta made us a homemade lunch that was delicious, simple, warm, and satisfying. I was intrigued by the homemade, hand-cut pasta called maccheroni, which are flat sheets of pasta cut in irregular shapes. The fresh, homemade ricotta with homemade jam was heavenly. My most favorite dish was the homestyle crispy potatoes. Kindly, Gemma verbally gave me the recipe, which I have been working on back home.

    Our Day at Cerasa Farm in Italy | FoodieGoesHealthy.com

    As the grown-ups lingered over food and wine, my kids went off to spend time with the animals on the farm. The baby kittens were a favorite.

    Our Day at Cerasa Farm in Italy | FoodieGoesHealthy.com

    Cerasa Farm is a magical place, and I'm thankful that Heather Jarman brought my family and me there for an unforgettable experience.

    Gemma's potatoes are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. It's a simple recipe that satisfies my need for crunchy foods. With potatoes this good, who needs deep fried foods? I make similar potatoes, but Gemma's are a notch better because they are crispier. I think the salt water soak helps, and her chunk size is a little bigger so they can take more heat and get crunchier. Hope you enjoy the recipe.

    Homestyle Crispy Potatoes From Rural Italy
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    Recipe type: side dish
    Cuisine: Italian, American
    Author: Dana @ FoodieGoesHealthy.com
    Prep time: 40 mins
    Cook time: 1 hour
    Total time: 1 hour 40 mins
    Serves: 4
    This recipe is adapted from Gemma Cavani of Cerasa Farm in Italy.
    Ingredients:
    • 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (Use russets to get fluffy insides.)
    • Water, for soaking
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus several pinches, divided
    • Enough olive oil to cover potatoes, about 1 tablespoon
    Instructions:
    1. Soak peeled and cut potatoes in salted warm water for 30 minutes (use 1 teaspoon salt). Drain and dry.
    2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit (not convection). Place potatoes on a metal pan (nonstick preferred) large enough to hold all potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle potatoes with 1 large pinch of salt. Pour oil over potatoes, and stir to coat all over. Spread potatoes out into a single layer.
    3. Place potatoes in oven to roast. After about 20-30 minutes, use a spatula to turn the potatoes over once a nice brown crust develops on the bottom. Be careful to keep the crispy bottom attached to the potato. Check and turn potatoes periodically and roast until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, about 1 hour.
    4. Sprinkle a large pinch of kosher salt and serve warm.
    Notes:
    Shortcut:
    If you are in a hurry, here's a timesaver that yields almost as good potatoes: Don't soak the potatoes. Cut the potatoes in ½ inch cubes. Roast in a 425 degree farenheit convection oven for about 30-40 minutes.

    Variations:
    1. Seasoning variations: try garlic powder, dried mixed herbs, paprika, or parmesan cheese. Add the seasoning at least half way through the cooking process so the seasoning doesn’t burn.
    2. Use peeled yams instead of potatoes, and cut them like French fries. Yam fries are amazing.
    3. My mom made these potatoes by cutting russet potatoes into fairly thin circles. Don’t go too thin or you’ll end up with potato chips.
    3.2.2199

    More about roasted potatoes:
    Here's any interesting read about the science behind crispy potatoes from Kenji of The Food Lab on Serious Eats: www.seriouseats.com/2013/12/the-food-lab-how-to-roast-vegetables.html. Skip to the "How to Roast Potatoes" section.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jill Roberts @ WellnessGeeky says

      December 21, 2017 at 4:16 am

      Definitely your homestyle crispy potatoes are awesomeness! This is a great recipe Dana, as you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely, in fact have made it again since. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Dana says

        December 24, 2017 at 2:47 pm

        Great to hear. Thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
    2. Christina @ChristinasCucina says

      January 06, 2014 at 10:03 pm

      Love this post, Dana! I truly hope I am able to go back to Italy this year! It's been far too long! I love adding some rosemary to the potatoes done this way, too! So delicious and crispy! Sorry I missed you this past weekend! CC

      Reply
      • Dana says

        January 06, 2014 at 10:43 pm

        Hi Christina- Missed you this weekend too. At least we can visit through our blogs. Thanks for reading about my Italian adventure. I hope you have one of your own soon. Hope to see you, Dana

        Reply
    3. Heather Jarman says

      January 04, 2014 at 5:40 am

      Hi Dana, Thanks for reminding me about Gemma's secret to extra-crispy potatoes. I'd completely forgotten. I love the way I learn from my guests! All the best for 2014, Heather

      Reply
      • Dana says

        January 04, 2014 at 3:31 pm

        Hi Heather- often it's the small things that you do to a recipe that make a difference. These little tweaks do. And the thanks go to you for organizing such a memorable experience. Warmly, Dana

        Reply
    4. Cathy | ShePaused4Thought says

      January 03, 2014 at 4:52 pm

      I didn't know to soak the potatoes, what a great tip. Love the farm photos.

      Reply
      • Dana says

        January 04, 2014 at 3:22 pm

        Hi Cathy- thanks for stopping by. The farm was so picturesque. I tried to do it justice.

        Reply
    5. Judy at Two Broads Abroad says

      January 02, 2014 at 6:52 pm

      This sounds like the perfect place to eat and learn. Most people think of ricotta as a savory but it's great with sweets as well. Thanks for the potato recipe.

      Reply
      • Dana says

        January 02, 2014 at 7:05 pm

        Hi Judy- thanks for checking out my post. Yes, love ricotta in sweets, like ricotta cheesecake! I want to talk to you to see if you have any cheesecake tips. See you soon, Dana

        Reply

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