Peeling the potatoes for Sunday dinner brought up memories. How can a potato do that? It’s just a potato!
However, memories of my mother peeling potatoes on Saturday evenings came to mind as I was preparing for another Sunday dinner. She was the fastest potato peeler I ever met. ” How can you bo so fast?” I often asked her. She smiled and answered, “with lots of practice”.
My father has shared some memories of potatoes during the war. One of his brothers had a crazy idea to plant a large number of potatoes. It was some ridiculous amount and my grandmother ended up needing them the next year when she cooked for the refugees who lived in their home. Who would have known?
The Tuinstra family cookbook includes a variety of potato recipes. One frequent dish served at most family parties is ” Cheesy Potatoes”. This mixture of frozen hashbrowns, chicken soup, and cheddar cheese is always a favorite.
These potato memories and thoughts made me wonder: what are the Ukrainians eating during the war? Is the potato part of their diet?
I researched and located an article: https://www.potatonewstoday.com/2022/04/21/market-analysis-the-impact-of-russias-war-on-the-potato-industry-of-ukraine/
The author of the article described how Ukraine is one of the top potato producers in the world, a fact I did not know. Did some of them store extra potatoes in anticipation of a war? What are the people who did not exit the country eating? The author also describes the war’s impact as Ukrainian farmers are unable to produce potatoes because of the devastation.
As I continue to use potatoes in our meals, I will take a moment to remember those in Ukraine dealing with devastation and challenges I cannot fathom.
A Journey Worth Remembering 