Farmer’s First

TRY SOMETHING NEW WITH FARMER’S FIRST

Since Green Thumb started farming in 1965, there has been a food revolution in Maine and around the world. We’re committed to bringing even more of our beloved signature potatoes to market, but we also strive to cultivate new varieties and drive innovation in the region.

Our program Farmer’s First is how we discover and develop potato varieties that thrive in our exceptional soil and climate. We aim to give consumers new products that work well in their kitchens by giving our retailers a way to offer something new.

It works like this. Green Thumb Farm partners with a retailer to identify a potato variety that they think their customers will love. Then, we cultivate it on our land to ensure that we can deliver the best version of that variety. With the Farmer’s First label, customers can try a limited variety, retailers can offer something new, and we can gather feedback so we know what people like and want in their potato.

Last year we offered the Queen Anne for our first Farmer’s First. This year we’re excited to introduce Fenway Reds, a round, red potato that’s excellent for pan-frying, mashing, and roasting and stew and chowder recipes. Plus, Fenway Reds look festive on a holiday table! Click here to learn more about this exciting new variety and for delicious recipes to try!

Fenway Reds are currently grown in Fryeburg, Maine by Green Thumb Farms and sold at Hannaford stores. Look for the two-pound netted bags with the Farmer’s First label in the produce department at Hannaford.

INTRODUCING FENWAY REDS

Step up to the plate and enjoy our new Fenway Reds! This unique variety is round with a red-hued skin that really pops. Some red potatoes get mushy when cooked, but Fenway Reds have a firm texture that makes it an excellent choice for pan-frying, mashing, and roasting recipes.

This is the roundest red potato we’ve ever grown at Green Thumb Farms. In fact, some soil conditions aren’t good for cultivating round reds, but our sandy soils suited Fenway Reds perfectly, and the Mount Washington Valley microclimate gave us homerun yields this harvest season.

The Fenway Reds variety is currently grown in Fryeburg, Maine by Green Thumb Farms and sold at Hannaford stores. Scroll down for recipes to try in your kitchen – and let us know if you have Fenway Reds recipes of your own! You can email info@greenthumbfarms.com or message us on Facebook.

Recipes for Fenway Red potatoes

Home Plate Boiled Fenway Reds

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1½ Lbs. of Fenway Reds
  • 1½ Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1½ teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon ground thyme
  • 1½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375°
  • Wash potatoes in tepid water and dry with linen or paper towel, then set aside.
  • In a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes
  • Whisk olive oil, minced garlic, ground thyme, salt and pepper, in a large bowl (big enough to hold the potatoes).
  • Add dried Fenway Reds, mix well, and place on a parchment paper covered sheet pan.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until soft and remove from the oven.

Potato Topping

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 6 slices pre-cooked bacon, finely chopped
  • 4 stalks of chopped green onions for garnish. Pro-tip: Green onions and scallions are the same thing! 
  • 8 ounces sour cream in a separate small bowl

Directions:

  • While potatoes are baking, mix together cheese, bacon, and green onions and in a separate bowl.
  • When potatoes come out of the oven, use a heavy jar to (carefully) smash each potato to half-an-inch thickness.
  • Sprinkle topping on each baked potato and return to the oven for 10 minutes (or until the cheese is melted).
  • Garnish sour cream with chopped green onions and serve on the side.

Play Ball! Baked Fenway Reds

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1½ Lbs. of Fenway Reds
  • ¼ bunch of minced flat parsley (for recipe and garnish)
  • About 1½ Tablespoons of butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Choose a large pot and fill it with water.
  • Wash the potatoes in tepid water.
  • Use the tines of a small fork scrape the skin around the middle of the potato so it resembles an unraveled baseball seam!
  • Place Fenway Reds in the pot and boil lightly for 15-20 minutes (or until tender).
  • Drain the water and let potatoes rest for 2 minutes (so the water evaporates).
  • Drain cooked potatoes one more time.
  • Add butter and half the parsley to the pot and mix well.
  • Garnish with remaining parsley and serve

Grand Slam Seafood Chowder

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1½ Lbs. of Fenway Reds (with skins on)
  • 2½ Lbs. of boneless haddock or cod fish chunks or shelled seafood – or a combination!
  • ¼ cup small dice onion
  • ¼ cup small diced celery
  • ½ teaspoon. ground thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 5 8-ounce bottles of clam broth
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 4 Tablespoons of flour
  • 16 ounces of cream, milk or unflavored, unsweetened dairy substitute (to adjust consistency). Pro-tip: Amount of dairy or non-dairy product will depend on how thick you like your chowder!

Directions:

  • Dice potatoes and boil in a large pot of water until just tender. (Watch closely as they cook in just a couple of minutes.)  Drain and set aside.
  • In a large heavy pot, melt the butter and add onion and celery, then sautee gently until soft.
  • Add flour slowly while whipping constantly to make the roux (thickening agent).
  • Cook roux on medium-low for 4 minutes to cook out the raw flour flavor. (Use a large kitchen spoon to scrape corners of the pot to prevent burning.)
  • Remove from heat and set on a cool burner. The roux should look like pale white paste. Do not let the roux get brown.
  • In a separate pot add clam broth and heat to a low boil.
  • When the broth is simmering, put the roux pot on medium heat and begin adding a ladle full of simmering broth to the roux while gently whipping constantly to prevent lumps, Pro-tip: Allow the roux to absorb the broth before adding more, then repeat until all the broth is incorporated. 
  • Add seafood and potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Test to be sure fish is cooked and flakes easily. (Do not overcook.)
  • If the chowder is too thick, add ¼ cup of dairy or non-dairy unsweetened unflavored milk to the chowder and bring back to a simmer. Add more dairy slowly until the chowder is just the right consistency.
  • Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary
  • Serve piping hot with Saltines or oyster crackers.

INTRODUCING QUEEN ANNE

Queen Anne is a beautiful potato. It has a smooth, bright yellow skin that’s thin and resistant to bruising. The shape of the Queen Anne is also unique. Most yellow potatoes tend to be round, but the Queen Anne is oblong, which makes it ideal for baking, easy to peel for mashed potatoes, and perfect to cut into steak fries. While this variety doesn’t have the starch and sugar content to perform well in oil, they make an exceptional oven fry (baked in the oven) and they brown up nicely as hash browns or tater tots.

The Queen Anne variety took to our sandy soils and Mount Washington Valley microclimate right away. The variety matured quickly and the yield was excellent.

Queen Anne is currently grown in Maine exclusively by Green Thumb Farms and sold only at Hannaford stores. Scroll down for recipes to try in your kitchen – and let us know if you have Queen Anne recipes of your own! You can email info@greenthumbfarms.com or share it with us on Facebook.

Recipes for Queen Anne potatoes

Twice-Baked Queen Anne Potatoes

Ingredients (per potato, per person):

  • 1 Queen Anne potato
  • 2 tsp cream cheese
  • 2 tsp chopped bacon (pre cooked)
  • 1/2 tsp chopped fresh scallions (green onions)
  • salt and pepper

Directions

  • Heat oven to 400 degrees
  • Bake potato(s) for about one hour.
  • Remove from oven.
  • Using a pot holder, gently squeeze potato. If it indents easily, it’s done!
  • Cut potato in half and scoop out flesh inside (save to the side)
  • Blend together with the following (per potato):
    • 2 tsp cream cheese
    • 2 tsp chopped bacon (pre-cooked)
    • 1/2 tsp chopped fresh scallions (green onions)
    • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Mix together until smooth (use hand mixer or masher)
  • Put mixture back into potato shell and broil for about two minutes until golden brown. (Keep an eye of them because they brown quickly!)

Queen Anne Potato Balls

Ingredients (per potato):

  • 1 Queen Anne potato
  • 2 tsp cream cheese
  • 2 tsp chopped bacon (pre-cooked)
  • 1/2 tsp chopped fresh scallions (green onions)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Egg wash (1 egg w/ splash of Half & Half)
  • Bread crumbs (about ¼ cup per potato)
  • Cooking oil (Vegetable or canola oil)

Directions:

  • Peel potatoes (as many as you like)
  • Cut each potato into 2-inch pieces
  • Boil until tender (about 10 minutes or until mashable)
  • Drain water and add the following: (multiply by number of potatoes used)
    • 2 tsp cream cheese
    • 2 tsp chopped bacon (pre-cooked)
    • 1 tsp chopped fresh scallion (green onion)
    • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Blend together with a hand mixer until smooth
  • Roll into roughly 2 oz. balls (or whatever size you prefer)
  • Dip into egg wash (1 egg with a splash of Half & Half)
  • Roll into bread crumbs
  • Lightly fry them in 350-degree oil until golden brown.
  • Serve immediately after cooking.

Oven fried potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 Queen Anne potatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

  • Wash potatoes well in tap water
  • Cut them lengthwise in half and then into ¼-inch steak fries.
  • Soak potatoes in hot tap water for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Drain and dry with a lint-free kitchen towel.
  • Place potatoes in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and mix well.
  • Pour out onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan in a single layer so potatoes aren’t touching.
  • Bake for 40 minutes, flipping fries every 10 minutes (flip and return to oven three times).
  • Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper and enjoy while they’re hot!