source: Great American Recipes
Varieties Of Potatoes
There are some 5,000 potato varieties worldwide, 3,000 of them in the Andes alone — mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Colombia. Over 100 cultivars might be found in a single valley, and a single agricultural household might maintain a dozen or more.  The European Cultivated Potato Database is an online collaborative database of potato variety descriptions updated and maintained by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency within the framework of the European Cooperative Programme for Crop Genetic Resources Networks—which the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute runs.  Around 80 varieties are commercially available in the UK.
For culinary purposes, varieties are often differentiated by their waxiness: floury or mealy baking potatoes have more starch (20–22%) than waxy boiling potatoes (16–18%). The distinction may also arise from variations in the comparative ratio of two different potato starch compounds: amylose and amylopectin. Amylose, a long-chain molecule, diffuses from the starch granule when cooked in water, and lends itself to dishes where the potato is mashed. Varieties that contain a slightly higher amylopectin content, which is a highly branched molecule, help the potato retain its shape after being boiled in water. Potatoes that are good for making potato chips or potato crisps are sometimes called “chipping potatoes”, which means they meet the basic requirements of similar varietal characteristics, being firm, fairly clean, and fairly well-shaped.
“New” Potatoes
Immature potatoes may be sold fresh from the field as “creamer” or “new” potatoes and are particularly valued for their taste. They are typically small in size and tender, with a loose skin, and flesh containing a lower level of starch than other potatoes. In the United States, they are generally either Yukon Gold potato or red potato, called gold creamers or red creamers respectively. In the UK, the Jersey Royal is a famous type of new potato.
The Look Of Potatoes
Dozens of potato cultivars have been selectively bred specifically for their skin color, including gold, red, and blue varieties. These contain varying amounts of phytochemicals, including carotenoids for gold/yellow or polyphenols for red or blue cultivars.  Carotenoid compounds include provitamin A alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which are converted to the nutrient, vitamin A, during digestion. Anthocyanins mainly responsible for red or blue pigmentation in potato cultivars do not have nutritional significance but are used for variety and appeal. In 2010, potatoes were bioengineered specifically for these pigmentation traits. (Wikipedia)
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
4 Yukon gold potatoes
8 new potatoes
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
For this Roasted Potato Medley recipe, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes. Scrub the new potatoes and cut them into cubes.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a large nonstick baking sheet.
Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with tarragon, salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes until browned and crisp, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Also, try the onion-roasted Potatoes recipe
