One of the joys of Easter is to gather with our wider family and dine together over entrees that each member of the family prepares. While the noble egg figures prominently in Easter lore and tradition, the icon of Resurrection Sunday in fact, what of the simple potato? Solanum Tuberosum, one of the nightshades and an herbaceous perennial, has been a vital part of history. It has for centuries been the perfect complement to a meal. Prepared properly, it is a very special delight.
It has become a family tradition that we prepare the bean casserole and the mashed potatoes. Everyone digs into the large bowl with enthusiasm and impatience for what is a unique taste experience. With just the right proportion of butter and cream, this velvety smooth accompaniment to a meal centered on a marinated roast is quite honestly “heavenly.” It is food that deserves far greater prominence and celebration. After all, it has been a vital staple in Europe and in the States for a very long time.
Furthermore, as a student of signs and symbols, I find it a striking tuber to serve on Easter Sunday. The potato arises from the Earth. It must be surfaced and then cleaned off, peeled, and then cooked ( mashed or otherwise). It is food that can only be enjoyed in its arising. That it comes from the earth itself is also poetic: such a great and enlivening, delicious, and velvety flavor from something that spent its growing years in complete darkness: a burial food enjoyed upon its resurrection.
In dining today on whatever main courses and vegetables, I do hope you enjoy the sensational potato and everything it represents.
Bon Appetit!
© Brother Anthony Thomas and The Harried Mystic, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
The Harried Mystic 
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