RECIPE: Simple Potato Wedges

There's nothing simpler than making your own potato wedges.  In fact, baked potato wedges are a fast and dead-easy way of introducing a healthy dose of starch into your diet, with none of the grease and MSG and other additives that make fast food a documentary-worthy vice.

You also have to hold this recipe fairly loosely in terms of proportions--every potato is a different size, and only you know how many wedges will satisfy you (and your family or guests), and how much seasoning you like.

The basic ingredients are as follows:

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes, sliced

Herbs, to taste

Salt & pepper, to taste

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

As for my own personal preferences:

I like russet potatoes well enough, but Aldi was selling butter golds for cheap when I was last there, and I've discovered a new love in life.  Butter golds are really and truly--and naturally--buttery tasting.  They don't crisp up as much as your russet, but the flavor is delightful.

As far as seasonings go, I'm a fan of adding a little garlic (powder or fresh), a little paprika, summer savory or thyme, and rosemary.  There are endless ways you can spice up your wedges, but I have found the combination that works for me (for 6 of my little butter golds, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon savory, and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary).

DIRECTIONS

The trick to good wedges is to get your oven well and truly hot--between 400 and 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Throw all of the ingredients into a ziploc bag.  (For my six butter golds, I add a 1/3 cup parmesan and a healthy drizzle of olive oil.)  Zip the bag shut and shake it around until the seasonings are evenly distributed, then pour the contents out onto a foil-covered baking sheet, making sure they're not crowded together.

Bake until tender and golden-brown, somewhere between 25 and 40 minutes depending on the type of potato and oven temperature.  I recommend checking the wedges at around 25 minutes, and if they're not done, flipping them and adding another 10 minutes to the clock. 

Baked wedges things are always a bit unpredictable, but they are always delicious.  So long as they don't burn and they're not over-seasoned in jalapeno flakes, it's almost impossible to ruin them.  Enjoy!