Recipe #4: Twice Baked Potatoes (P)

The Experience

The film The Future of Food was one of the more profoundly disturbing documentaries that I have seen in a long time. Prior to viewing the film, I thought that I was fairly knowledgeable about genetically engineered food products, but it turned out that my awareness of the subject barely scratched the surface.

One of the more poignant aspect of the film to me was the prevalence of intellectual property law cases filed by the Monsanto company against small farms for growing crops that had cross pollinated with their genetically engineered seeds, regardless of how it happened--wind, birds, bees--despite the fact that these were acts of nature, courts all over the country have sided with Monsanto that these farms have violated the seed company's patents. These farmers are forced to pay levies for IP infractions, and to destroy thousands of seeds, many of which they had carefully cultivated for years before contamination by Monsanto product.

The Experiment

Twice Baked Potatoes

To commemorate the conclusion of Ozeki's novel, All Over Creation, I decided to make a dish using (non-genetically engineered) potatoes. I chose twice baked potatoes, which I served with a roasted chicken and a spinach salad (using the fat from the bacon in a dressing).

4 medium sized Russet potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4-6 strips of bacon, cooked and diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
1 small to medium sized shallot, diced

With a fork, poke holes into the potatoes to keep them from exploding in the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour, or until a knife slides easily through the potato. Remove and let cool for 30 minutes. Slice the potato in half and scoop the insides into a bowl, leaving the skins intact. Mash the potatoes. Add the cheese, bacon mushrooms and shallot. Add the sour cream and stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins, and return to the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Cool and serve with butter.