Eating seasonally(ish): Italian herby roast potatoes and salsify with spinach and pine-nut stuffed porcini mushrooms

When I went to open up the last bag of stored potatoes last week - a mixed bag of Desiree and Robinta potatoes - they'd sprouted in the hot weather of the week before. Mea Culpa, I'd left them in a hot garden shed. I'd thought I might have to waste the 10 kg bag of spuds, but a quick sorting showed that there were some shrivelled, sprouted potatoes (which were set aside for planting because I may as well risk it), and many which were sprouted but still OK. So I knocked the sprouts off those and put them back in a paper bag in a cool place. We now have 7 kg of 'old' potatoes which will want using soon, but which will probably get us through the next couple of months until the earlies come through. I now understand why the Italians refer so often to using 'old' potatoes for gnocchi, a kilogram at a time.

This all meant that last night roast potatoes were our dinner treat, with something knocked up from whatever veg were in the fridge needing using:

Italian herby roast potatoes and salsify with spinach and pine-nut stuffed porcini mushrooms
(Serves 2 with plenty of left-over roast veg for something else)

For the roast veg:
1 kg large old potatoes, peeled and cut into roasting-size chunks
10 roots mixed parsnip, salsify and scorzonera, or whatever other root veg are in the garden
1 small handful each thyme, rosemary and sage, leaves peeled from stems but left whole
2 big glugs olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
optional: one head smoked garlic

Preheat the oven to 210C. Parboil the potatoes in water for 5 minutes, drain into a colander and give them a good shaking (this is the secret to crispy roast potatoes). Put in a large bowl with the other ingredients and toss to coat the veg in the oil and herbs. Pour them all into a large baking tray and bake in the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour. In the meantime, prepare the mushrooms.

For the Porcini mushrooms stuffed with spinach and pine nuts
8 baby plum tomatoes
2 large porcini mushrooms
2 chestnut mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 white wine
1-2 large handsful fresh spinach, chopped
10 basil leaves, torn
20 sage leaves, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs, made from a slice of stale bread
1-2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
30 g (about 4-6 thin slices) tallegio cheese

Put the baby plum tomatoes in a small casserole and roast in the oven with the potaotes until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the stems from the porcini mushrooms and chop finely with the chestnut mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and gently sweat the garlic and pinenuts until golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes until they release their juices, then add the wine. Reduce until the liquid is mostly gone, then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the herbs and breadcrumbs, and cook until the spinach blend is holding together. Set aside to cool slightly.

Remove baby plum tomatoes from oven and cut in half. Arrange several tomatoes halves inside the porcini mushrooms, saving some for the top. Sprinkle a pinch of smoked paprika over each mushroom. Press the spinach mixture into the tomatoes, top decoratively with the remaining baby plum tomato halves, another sprinkled pinch of smoked paprika and one to three slices of tallegio, depending on the size of your slices and the mushroom.

When the potatoes have been cooking for 30 minutes, remove the garlic, turn the potatoes and return to the oven with the mushrooms. Bake for 20 minutes, until the potatoes, herbs and other veg are crispy, the mushrooms are cooked and the cheese on top of them is golden. While this is happening, remove the roasted garlic from its papery skin.

Serve the mushrooms individually on a plate, and turn the roasted root veg onto a platter to serve on the side, with the yummy crispy herbs and roasted garlic cloves scattered on top to garnish. Savour the herbs as you eat the rest.