• Potatoes
• Cold water
• Salt

Peel potatoes. Cover with cold water and set on hot fire. When they reach boiling point, add salt, remove scum, cover and boil slowly until tender, about half hour. The quantity and size of potatoes determines the cooking time. Drain, cover and put back on slow fire. Gently shake pot over the flame, raising the lid to allow steam to escape freely. This will dry and make the potatoes mealy. If you decide to flavor potatoes with buttered bread crumbs or chopped crisp bacon or chopped onion, butter and chopped dill, add to potatoes immediately after draining, mix well and remove cover. Serve boiled potatoes at once. In the spring when potatoes reach their cycle of life and are ready to enter the earth again, their flavor spoils. Then cover potatoes with boiling water, boil 5 minutes, drain and pour fresh boiling water over them and cook.