Hot, fluffy potatoes go with everything

Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Any time of day or year, these Garlic-Roasted Potatoes will not disappoint.

With summer here, grilling season is in full swing and I have deck parties and picnics to attend. So what I need is a good, all-around potato dish that goes with everything. I pulled out some of my old standby recipes and was bored even reading the ingredients. What I crave is something fresh, lively, delicious, and easy.

I absolutely adore the Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Potatoes that came out of my kitchen experiments this time. Easy? Yes, only 12 minutes of actual work. Fresh and lively? Absolutely, thanks to the fresh garlic and rosemary. Delicious? Oh, yeah.

After fine-tuning the recipe for a week or so, I consumed a total of four batches with everything from salad and grilled fish to sauteed shrimp, burgers, and chicken. Leftovers proved to be delicious warmed in a pan (hash-browned style), served alongside eggs and crisp bacon.

Cutting the potatoes in thick slices and roasting them at high heat provides a unique texture combination. The roasted skins nicely complement the potatoes' soft, fluffy insides. While the potatoes have a bright, salty flavor, the sodium is actually quite low per serving; the total amount of salt used is only 1/2 teaspoon.

Here's a dish that will surely move to the front of the recipe collection for the summer months.

Contact Alicia Ross at Kitchen Scoop, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, or send email to tellus@kitchenscoop.com. Visit the Kitchen Scoop Web site at www.kitchenscoop.com.

Start to finish: about 1 hour

3 pounds medium white potatoes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the potatoes into 1/2-inch slices and place in rows in a 3 or 4-quart glass or ceramic baking dish.

Finely chop the rosemary and garlic. Add the salt directly to the rosemary and garlic on the cutting board, and crush the salt, garlic, and rosemary together, using the flat side of the knife. Add the rosemary mixture to the melted butter and stir well. Pour evenly over the rows of potatoes.

Roast for 45 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove from the oven and toss to coat the potatoes with residual butter mixture on the bottom of the dish; roast again for 10 more minutes. Serve hot out of the oven or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings

Approximate values per serving: 215 calories, 6 g fat (4 g saturated), 15 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 173 mg sodium.