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Potatoes have recently been given away in just about every growing area. With schools shut down and restaurants on limited service, growers, brokers and processing facilities have more that they can sell. Kindly, many have brought supplies to communities and food banks, so they don’t go to waste.

Potatoes distributed now, have been in storage six or seven months, so need to be used up quickly. Potato soup and casseroles can use up potatoes fast, but sunny weather has us thinking more of summer picnic and barbeque foods. German Potato Salad, a Deutschesfest favorite, can double as a main dish or side salad.

The following recipe is a four-serving version, easy to double or triple for a larger family.

German Potato Salad

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled

3 slices bacon

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup cider vinegar

Cook potatoes in water to cover, until just tender. Drain and cut into thick slices when cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan to drain on paper towels. Add onion to bacon fat and sauté 2-3 minutes until tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients except potatoes and bacon, and cook over medium heat stirring gently until thickened and bubbly.

Add potatoes, stirring gently to coat. Pour into serving dish and crumble bacon over potatoes. Let stand 5 minutes for flavors to blend before serving. Yield: 4 servings.

Potato Salads come in all manner of savory flavors. Some include eggs, but many rely on spices and vegetable additions. Douglas’ Summer Potato Salad, attributed to Kat Kinsman, is a recipe I shared in June of 2011. Smoked paprika adds vibrant color and savory flavor.

Douglas’s Summer Potato Salad

3 pounds potatoes, cooked, peeled and diced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 stalks celery, including leaves, diced

1/2 large onion, diced

3 green onions, including tops, sliced thin

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried.

Place diced potatoes in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard until blended.

Add remaining ingredients to potatoes and toss gently to evenly distribute. Stir in dressing mixture until potatoes are evenly coated. Chill until serving. Yield: about 3 quarts salad.

Note: The original recipe called for “a fist-full of salt,” way too much for me.

Baked potatoes are a favorite in many families. They allow for a variety of toppings to accommodate various tastes. Chili, broccoli-cheese sauce, sour cream, green onions, grated cheese and bacon bits are just a few options. Twice-baked potatoes include many of these ingredients mixed in. Potatoes may be baked in a conventional oven, microwave or foil-wrapped on the grill.

Hearty Stuffed Potatoes is a recipe for two, giving a nod to German heritage, by Margaret Allen of Abingdon, Virginia, as printed in the 1999 Best of Country Cooking, Taste of Home Book. The recipe calls for Polish sausage but is also great with our local German sausage.

Hearty Stuffed Potatoes

2 large baking potatoes

1/4 pound smoked Polish sausage, cut in thin slices

1 tart green apple, chopped

1-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained

1/2 tsp caraway seed

1/2 cup sour cream

Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until tender.

About 15 minutes before potatoes are done, brown sausage in a medium size skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add apple and garlic, cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes or until apples are tender. Add sauerkraut and caraway seed, cook 4-5 minutes longer until heated through. Stir in sour cream and remove from heat.

To serve, plump potatoes and cut an X in the top of each potato.

Fluff the pulp with a

fork. Spoon sausage and kraut mixture on top of the potatoes. Yield: 2 servings. This recipe may be increased for additional servings.

Salt can be an issue when doubling recipes. The rule of thumb is to use the amount for the original recipe, then taste to see if additional salt is needed. Doubling salt often makes for a dish that is too salty.

If you are looking for additional potato preserving recipes, check out the “Welcome to My Kitchen” Facebook page and scroll through for freezing and drying directions.

Sourdough baking has become popular with a shortage of yeast on store shelves. After a while, you begin to accumulate extra starter, often called discard.

There are many recipes for using up extra atarter rather than “discarding” it. Sourdough Discard Crackers may be flavored with an assortment of herbs and spices. Make several batches at once with a variety of seasonings.

Sourdough Discard Crackers

3/4 cup left over sourdough starter, cold or at room temperature

2 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 tsp dried herbs, such as Herbs de Provence

1/2 tsp additional salt for sprinkling, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 11- x 15- inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, sourdough, dried herbs and salt, mixing thoroughly.

Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the mixture in a very thin layer on the parchment paper. Sprinkle the top with salt.

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and score into squares with a sharp knife. Return to the oven and bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes, until crackers are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. Break into squares. Store in airtight containers. Yield: 4 servings.

Note: I make these salt-free using Kirkland brand Salt Free Seasoning.

Share your favorite potato or sourdough recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Be prepared to protect tender plants from frost at night for the next few weeks.