One Potato, Two Potato, Fingerlings Galore!

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Two Potato

Red wine is our link to the next great fingerling — ‘Roseval’ — because it’s a perfect mate for pinot noir and other light reds. Often sold as ‘French Fingerling,’ this variety has dark red skin and deep yellow flesh. Some American strains also have pink streaks in the flesh. ‘Roseval’ is a little more flat and oval than other fingerlings, and isn’t bent into the common horn shape. It is much waxier than ‘La Ratte,’ but the flavor is more delicate, with a hint of hazelnuts or butternuts. ‘Roseval’ makes an excellent new potato.

‘Roseval’ potatoes taste great steamed, but leave the skins on: Much of the flavor lies right under the skin. After steaming, serve these potatoes as a simple salad with an oil and vinegar dressing. Try walnut or hazelnut oil paired with shallot vinegar and chopped chives or chervil. (Shallot vinegar is easy to make. Add several peeled shallots to white wine vinegar, and let them soak until the flavor suits you.)

Fingerlings Galore

Fingerlings come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. And there are plenty of fun variety names to boot: ‘Russian Banana,’ ‘Swedish Peanut’ and ‘Chinese Truffle’ are just a few.

‘Bamberger Hörnle’ is a relative of ‘La Ratte’ that has pink skin and pale yellow flesh (see Image Gallery). The dark blue fingerling ‘Negresse’ is a stumpy tuber with an earthy walnut flavor. Another one to look for is ‘Pink Fir Apple,’ a knobby, yellow-fleshed potato that resembles ginger root.

Fingerlings in the Garden

Fingerlings are generally thin-skinned and do not store for as long as large, coarse baking potatoes. Some gardeners overcome this problem by planting fingerlings late — in June or July — so they can be dug in the fall and kept through the winter. This fall harvest is probably one reason why ‘La Ratte’ and ‘Roseval’ are often paired with wild game. But if you live in a cold area, you can still plant them by early April. They will take about 120 days from planting to harvest. Fingerlings will grow in most soils, but they thrive in rich, black, sandy loam. Keep them watered deeply and well.

Plant your seed potatoes about a foot apart. It’s common to plant potatoes in rows and hill them up with soil as they grow. Or you can plant them deep in raised beds using a bulb planter.

If you’ve got the space, it’s a good idea to rotate your potatoes each year. Work some aged manure into your soil the fall before planting, or add a little organic fertilizer, such as dried blood or rabbit pellets, directly into your planting holes.

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