Potato Fest 2006: A recipe

DYI “Cook Shanty” Fried Potatoes

(also known as “vacation potatoes”—inspired by Paul Bunyan’s Cook Shanty, Minocqua, Wisconsin)

When on vacation in the North Woods of Wisconsin, as soon as you get to the cabin, bake potatoes—one for each day of vacation, wrapped in foil in the oven 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and cool, keeping them wrapped in foil on counter until ready to fix breakfast.

In the morning, fry two pieces of bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and drain. Pour off most of the bacon grease. Dice up one potato (per day, skin on) and add it to hot pan. Once the potato starts to brown, add finely diced onion and green pepper and cook along with the potatoes. Salt lightly and add lots of pepper. Crumble the bacon and add back to the pan. If you need more oil, add a bit of olive oil or butter, not more bacon grease. When the potatoes are very brown and crisp, serve them up with scrambled eggs and a slice of toast on the deck overlooking the woods. Eat fast because it’s cold up there in Wisconsin on September mornings!

Makes two servings.

(Do not make them again until it is hubby’s birthday, at which time they are then called Birthday Breakfast potatoes.)

Check out Rebecca's newest installment of Potato Fest 2006 for some more potato facts and some interesting recipes. Ever had a lefse? Me either, but I'm intrigued.

Related Tags: fried potatoes, Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty, Minocqua, Wisconsin