Favorite Herbed Potatoes

March. The quality of the light changes in March in a way that's more dramatic here than I expect it to be, even after a lifetime of noticing it. The days are longer by almost an hour from the February solstice and the angle of the light shifts from the flat white of winter to something warmer, more present. The snow that's been on the north-facing slopes since November starts to recede on the lower ground. The horses behave differently in March light. So do I.

Had my first session with Dr. Crain in Bozeman this week. I won't say much about it in detail because the work requires privacy to function properly. I'll say this: she's direct without being aggressive, which is the correct approach for the kind of person I am. The session lasted fifty minutes and by the end of it I'd said several things I'd never said out loud in that particular combination. The drive home was long and I arrived with more appetite for the work than I expected to have.

Cole and I drove out to the rescue facility together for my monthly day. He came as an observer — I told Kate I was bringing my apprentice and she said fine. He was quiet and careful with the horses and one of the long-term rehab cases, an appaloosa mare named Freckles, came to him without the usual wariness. Horses read something in a person that's not visible. Whatever Freckles read in Cole was acceptable to her. That's information about who he is.

Made corned beef for St. Patrick's Day prep — bought it cured, but I added a layer of my own brine spices and let it sit another two days. Braised for four hours with cabbage and potato and carrot added in the last hour. The house smelled like a particular version of March for the whole afternoon. That was the right smell for the right week.

The corned beef carried the afternoon, but it was the potatoes that kept the meal honest — the part that didn’t require explanation, that just sat on the plate and did what it was supposed to do. That’s what I wanted after the week I’d had: something that didn’t ask anything of me, that was just warm and smelled right and tasted like the specific version of March I was trying to inhabit. These herbed potatoes — roasted separately so they hold their edges — are what I’d make again alongside the braise, or on their own when the week calls for something simple and true.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or leave bare for better crisping.
Parboil the potatoes. Place potato chunks in a pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, until just barely fork-tender at the edges but still firm at the center. Drain well and let steam dry for 2 minutes.
Season. Transfer potatoes to the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Toss to coat evenly, then spread in a single layer with cut sides down.
Roast. Roast 30—35 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until deeply golden and crisp on the edges and tender all the way through.
Finish and serve. Remove from the oven, scatter fresh parsley over the top, and taste for salt. Serve immediately alongside corned beef and braised cabbage, or as a standalone side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Favorite Herbed Potatoes — The Side That Anchored a Very Long Week