In the spotlight - Potatoes

I tried to think of a fruit or veg associated with Easter, but I was stumped. Perhaps a fruit to dip into left-over chocolate? But hang on, Easter eggs would never last that long as to be surplus chocolate. I had to admit defeat and went with the idea that a lot of people will be sitting down to a roast dinner over the weekend and that whatever you have on your plate, potatoes will nearly always feature.

Although potatoes don't count towards your 5 A Day - nutritionally they are more similar to bread and cereals - there's no disputing that they are a vegetable. And a very versatile veg at that - boil, mash, bake, roast, chip, wedge, sliced to top a hotpot, baby new potatoes in a salad or if you're after something fancier duchess or Dauphinoise potatoes. As they soak up flavours, they also make an excellent addition to soups, stews and curries.

• Potatoes originated in the Andes and did not make their way to the UK until the late 1500s, though were slow to catch on - people were initially sceptical, as they weren't mentioned in the Bible.
• In the UK the average potato consumption per year is 103Kg each. If you think that's a lot, the people of Ireland and Portugal eat more.
• Potatoes are very easy to grow, so if you want to get started with "grow your own", they're a good veg to begin with. So easy to grow that they can reach big proportions - a gardener in Nottinghamshire was confirmed last year as having grown the heaviest by the Guinness World Book of Records, reaching a whopping 8lb 4oz!
• Potatoes are a good source of Vitamin C, various B vitamins and fibre as long as the skin is eaten.
• Chips aren't as new as you might think - they appeared in a cookbook in 1854. And interestingly, fish and chips were never rationed during World War 2.
• Potatoes were the first food to be grown in space - in 1995 they were taken on board of the shuttle Columbia.

Potato salad with a difference

• Add 500g new potatoes to a pan and simmer for 15mins or until tender. Drain and return to the pan.
• Add 1tbsp each of wholegrain mustard, clear honey, olive oil and white wine vinegar to a small bowl. Mix well and add 4 chopped spring onions.
• Stir the dressing through the potatoes and serve as a side dish for any salad.

Aloo Jeera - an Indian side dish

• Add 500g new potatoes to a pan and simmer for 15mins or until tender. Drain and quarter.
• Heat 1tbsp oil and add 1tsp each of cumin, turmeric and curry powder.
• Add the potatoes back to the pan, season well and stir through, cooking for a few mins.
• Garnish with chopped corriander and serve with a curry.