Left over potato, we have all had some at some stage but what have we done with it.

Are you the adventurous cook who plays with recipe ideas with leftovers or are the the conservationist who has a set number of recipes for all left over foods, or adds this to a composting bin. Of course you could also be one of the millions of us who just throughs away leftovers which could make a very good meal ingredient?

I learnt to cook from one of the best conservationalists, my grandmother. Nothing was thrown away it was either placed on the compost or used as a meal simple, not like the over flowing dustbins you see adorning the pavements today on bin collection day.

Potatoes are particularly versatile & their flavour makes them a great accompaniment to a variety of other foods. Potatoes can give substance to salads and add texture to soups, and they can also be combined with other ingredients, reshaped or even reheated to accompany many different meal varieties to suit anyones tastes.

Surplus mashed potato can be shaped into croquettes or potato cakes, coated in flour and fried. Add a well beaten egg which will help to hold the mixture together. You can also add in canned fish for example and any left over vegetables to make fish cakes.

Leftover new potatoes can make a delicious potato salad, by tossing them in a little olive oil while they are still warm enough to absorb the flavour, then cool them and put them in the fridge. Dress your cooled potatoes with a herb mayonaise or yougurt for a great potato salad.

Turn cooked new potatoes in to a fast and tasty accompaniment to hot or cold meats by frying them in olive oil and sprinkling with parmesan which will melt and turn crunchy as they cook. You could also fry these with some rosemary & garlic for some great panfried potatoes too.

Leftover boiled potatoes can be turned into hash browns to make a tasty breakfast with eggs and bacon too.

What other ideas can you come up with to do with left over potato? Let me know who likes what! Tell me if the recession has made you use leftovers for a meal?