December 12

Antoine- Augustin Parmentier's Birthday
 

Antoine-Augustin Parmentier was to the potato what George Washington Carver ( January 05)was to the peanut. Parmentier was a 20-year-old military pharmacist who was captured by the Prussians during the Seven Years War. The Prussians fed their prisoners potatoes at least once a day. This was a novelty for Parmentier who, like the majority of the French, considered the potato poisonous because of its botanical association with deadly nightshade.

When. Parmentier was released, he returned to France and began studying the nutritional values of the potato. In 1774. after several years of crop failures and food shortages, 'Parmentier began to champion the value of the potato as a dietary staple. By 17189 the, potato had become one of France's most popular vegetables and a popular source of bread flour.**

One of the most interesting legends about Parmentier's efforts to popularize the potato is the story that he once presented Louis XV (February 15) with a bouquet of potato blossoms for his birthday. Louis was enchanted by the unusual blossoms and pinned a sprig of them on his uniform. Marie Antoinette( October 15) in one of her famous pastoral attacks, took the remainder of the bouquet and wove them into a garland which she wore as a crown

 Parmentier once prepared a special banquet for a dozen influential guests including Benjamin Franklin, in which
all twenty courses included potatoes as a principal ingredient. This may have been the inspiration for Carver's famous peanut banquet in which he created almost the same number of dishes made out of peanuts.*

 

  

In French, the potato is Pomme de terre (earth apples) and several classic potato dishes are named after Parmentier, such as Pommes de terre Parmentier (diced potatoes sautéed in butter and sprinkled with parsley), Potage puree de terre, dite Parmentier* (puree of leek and potato soup),etc. However, when potatoes are used as a principal ingredient of a specific French recipe, their presence is generally acknowledged with Parmentier's name, as in Omellete Parmentier (potato omelet), Morue Parmentier (baked flaked salt cod covered with a puree of potatoes and a benediction of grated cheese), Poulet sauté a la Parmentier (sautéed chicken and potatoes), the popular Hachis Parmentier (mashed/pureed potatoes with chopped meat and cheese sauce ), etc

  
   

Hachis Parmentier
(Shepherd's Pie)
 
There are hundreds of versions of the popular French staple
 

 

 
   
   
Ingredients
 		  
1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pound leeks  diced
1/4 lb unsalted butter
1 lb of ground beef
 		 salt and  freshly ground pepper to taste
1cup crème fraîche
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
4 TB  minced parsley
4 TB Grated Parmesan Cheese
 		  
Instructions
 		  
1. Preheat oven to 325º F
2. Boil potatoes  for 10-13 minutes until cooked, but still holding their shape. Remove from heat. Drain  Place in bowl and add 4TB
    butter and mash potato/butter mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste
3. Cook leeks in 2 TB butter for 4-5 minutes, until soft.
4. Brown ground beef over medium heat about 10-12 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste Remove from pan. Drain of any
    grease. Add leeks.
5. Butter a gratin pad with remaining of butter. Line with half ot mashed potatoes. Spread ground beef/leek  mixture over potatoes.
    Top with remaining potatoes.
6. Gently fold in remaining Swiss cheese into crème fraîche, Top casserole with crème fraîche/Swiss cheese mixture. Sprinkle 
    chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese over top.  Bake in preheated oven for30 minutes or until top of casserole begins to 
    brown and crust.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Cut and serve.