After gaining independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic was ruled by a series of autocratic leaders; by the 1990s, calls for democracy led to the first multi-party democratic elections in 1993. Ange-FÃ©lix PatassÃ© became president, but was later removed by General FranÃ§ois BozizÃ© in the 2003 coup.
To check for crop maturity, dig up one or two plants, if the skins on the tubers are thin and rub off easily, the crop is not fully mature. The skins on mature potatoes remain firmly attached to the tubers. Roll-over image to enlarge. Rubbing the thumb across this potato shows the potato skin firm and stays in place. Roll-over image to enlarge. Rubbing the thumb across this potato shows the skin rubbing off and is not yet ready for harvesting to store. However now you have ripped it from its home you might as well eat it tonight.
The new potatoes you harvest when bandicooting, wonât have a properly formed skin (you can often rub the skin off with your fingers), so they wonât keep for very long. They are best used the same day as harvesting. I love new baby potatoes, boiled whole and then lightly coated in butter and fresh parsleyâ¦..YUMMMMM!