Potato Days

Nice to visit there if possible. I won't be growing them this year though.

I love the names of all the different varieties ..
Highland Burgundy sounds tasty ...:o)

It is a lovely potato. Here is the description given on Alan Romans web site - "This is an almost all red, long tubered, early maincrop variety very like some old types still grown in S. America. The central pith tissue is a burgundy colour with a very narrow white cortex band surrounding it. The skin is bright red when freshly dug but becomes more russet with underlying burgundy when it sets. Much of the colour remains when tubers are cooked, particularly if they are steamed or fried. The cooked potato is fluffy in texture and can have a slightly sweet flavour. HBR looks as if it should be suitable for salad use but the variety has high dry matter and makes good novelty crisps, chips and mash. Gordon and Sue Baldam gave me my first tuber at the East Anglian Potato Event. I arranged for it to be micropropagated and cleaned of its heavy virus content. It was placed in the disease free in vitro part of the National Collection. Red Salad which is probably the same variety had come and gone, possible more than once, in the field grown part of the National Collection".
Here is a link to his web site. It is full of interesting information and he comes to most of the potato days in Scotland.

Thanks for that info... the name seems to suit it even more, having read that description ! :o)

i love potatoes,
there is a new one in our supermarket ~ kestrel ~ have you ever grown it?

Kestrel is one of my favourites. I have today lifted the last of them. They have been out on the patio all winter so it was understandable that half of them have been frosted and were soft. They are described as a 2nd Early. Here is the description from AR.

This is the equivalent of modern Catriona as bred by Scotland’s most successful breeder of recent times, Jack Dunnett. It has bonny blue eyes and dominates its show classes. It has good disease resistance including partial double eelworm and slug resistance. Kestrel is the best Caithness variety for flavour as far as I am concerned. A garden favourite.

http://www.jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/ also a v. good site says Kestrel is
Suitable for: Boiling, Baking, Roasting, Mashing and Chipping

Texture: Waxy Type, Floury Tasting

no wonder i like them!!!
thats very clever being a waxy type but tasting floury ~ i didnt know that was possible.

We can't be dead yet then. LOL. Still plenty more to learn. I feel I am only now starting to get an education and there is so much to learn in such a nice way on GOY.

Thanks for bloging this, I'm going to try and make it. I haven't decided what to grow yet so some research required before the 20th!

I can definitely recommend the Arran Blue and Highland Burgundy Red. They have not advertised it but if they have Salad Blue that too is a cracking potato. I would plan to get there early and be aware that there is no parking at the venue. You will need to park in a street nearby. Lucky you. I wish I could get there too. I will be in Somerset or Wiltshire for adifferent potato day.

Well I've just left Bridgend the place was very busy - it's still on for another hour (2pm).

I managed to get a selection including the 2 you recommended. Off to clear the bed of phormiums!

I also chatted to Alan Roman about what grows well here - he has steered me off celeriac! But celery here I come!

It is great to be able to access people like Alan at these events. He is a mine of information. I concentrate my enthusiasm on potatoes with lip service to other crops. I gave up on greens except for lettuce because so many other garden dwellers thought I was growing for them. Glad you enjoyed your first experience of PD's.