Picnic Potatoes -- The Chain in Its Most Elemental Form

I have begun thinking about the structure of the book more seriously — not just individual chapters but the arc, the through-line, the thing that connects the first page to the last. The first page is Sylvia's kitchen. The last page is — I don't know yet. The last page is the thing I am writing toward, the destination I cannot see from here, which is both terrifying and exhilarating, because the not-seeing is the adventure, and the adventure is the writing, and the writing is the discovery of what the book wants to be, which may be different from what I want it to be, and the difference is the art.

Rebecca and I talk about the book every Friday — our phone call, before Shabbat, which used to be only the Miriam call and is now also the Rebecca call, the two conversations that frame my Friday: Miriam at three (Tel Aviv is seven hours ahead), Rebecca at four, Shabbat candles at sunset. Three women on the phone, separated by an ocean and a borough and a generation, connected by Friday and food and the specific love of women who have been talking to each other for so long that the talking is breathing.

I made Sylvia's potato soup. The simplest soup. Potatoes, onions, broth, cream. The soup of women who had potatoes. The soup of the book. The soup that will appear on the first page and the last page, because the potato soup is the chain in its most elemental form: a woman, a potato, a pot, a flame. That's all you need. That's all you've ever needed.

The soup I made was Sylvia’s — barely a recipe at all, just the act of making it — but when I wanted something I could bring to the Friday call, something to set on the table while I waited for the candles, I turned to these potatoes. Picnic Potatoes felt right in the same way the soup felt right: humble, grounding, elemental. Potatoes have fed women across generations with almost nothing asked of them, and this dish asks almost nothing of you either — just time, heat, and the willingness to let simple things be enough.

Picnic Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 3 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with oil.
2. Season the potatoes. In a large bowl, toss the potato chunks with the olive oil, sliced onion, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, rosemary, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir until every piece is well coated.
3. Arrange and roast. Spread the potato mixture in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, taking care not to crowd them so they roast rather than steam. Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes.
4. Turn and continue roasting. Using a wide spatula, turn the potatoes and onions. Return to the oven and roast for another 18—20 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and crisped at the edges and tender all the way through when pierced with a fork.
5. Finish and serve. Transfer to a serving dish and scatter the fresh parsley over the top. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature — these travel well, as the name suggests.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 230 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 310mg