Perfect Roast Potatoes

I only want tea and potatoes.

Seriously. That's it. I've officially met my eggnog, cookies, pie, turkey, stuffing, Chex Mix, candy, and whipped cream quota for 2014.

Having a belly that shakes like a bowlful of jelly might work for Mr. Claus, but for me it would only lead to an ever-increasing pain in the back.

My body is craving simplicity; a gentle approach, instead of the onslaught of sugar, dairy, and other inflammatory foods I've been subjecting it to more and more over the past few weeks. I love the holidays, but I am done with the holiday foods.

Tea is simple. Potatoes are simple. And these roast potatoes are the simplest of all. A lot of recipes call for soaking the potatoes first, or turning them over halfway through cooking, or some other sort of extra step.

But in the name of Simplicity, I toss them in olive oil, plop them on a baking sheet, and leave them the heck alone. For those of you who still crave something a little special, I added on a bonus step at the end, infusing honey with the delicate flavor of lavender, then drizzling it all over the Simple Spuds.

*****

Honey Lavender Roasted Potatoes

Serves 2

3 small white potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried lavender blossoms

1 Tbsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes into eighths by cutting each potato in half and then doing this:

A video posted by Elizabeth (@thebaremidriff) on Dec 12, 2014 at 1:11pm PST

2. Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper until coated.

3. Spread potatoes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Give them some space - we all need a little space every now and then.

4. Place the sheet in the center rack of the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. Walk away. Do not disturb the potatoes. Leave them alone. For the love of Pete, leave them alone.

5. In the meantime, prepare the lavender honey. Coarsely grind the lavender blossoms with a mortar and pestle, or chop through with a knife. Add the lavender to the honey and stir to combine.

6. Take the potatoes out when they look like this:

7. Transfer the piping-hot potatoes to a bowl and drizzle the lavender honey over them. Gently stir to coat.

8. Serve immediately, garnishing with more lavender blossoms if you choose.

When in doubt, keep it simple. Most of the stuff that we worry about ends up just being small potatoes anyway, and we've wasted all that time worrying for nothing.

Small potatoes.