Rooting for August

Many people think of potatoes as a wintertime food. Actually, they’re harvested in the summer, with August marking the end of new potatoes for sale. Use tender-fleshed little tubers in those end-of-summer potato salads or freshly fried potato chips for a gourmet cookout. Toss them with oil and roast them in a grill pan for smoky overtones. Or halve boiled potatoes and scoop them into cup shapes; fill with a zesty mixture of sesame seeds, minced peppers and fresh herbs. Soon enough, you’ll want them mashed and swimming in butter for hearty winter meals.