Hooray hurrah it’s irish new potato season!  It’s been slow to start this year, but we are now getting good supplies of Queens and other varieties in shops and farm shops. After the hunger gap of late spring and early summer, where winter main crop spuds were  becoming past their best,   it’s great to have these delightful new spuds on our plates! A bowl of freshly cooked new spuds topped with butter, salt and pepper and perhaps a scattering of fresh chives, are just the bees knees of simple honest dining. You  could just eat these on their own, with absolutely nothing else. As was the discussion betweenthis writer and a fellow spud lover, when buying a bag of new potatoes in the local shop a few days ago.  To cook the perfect new spud, we recommend a brief scrub and rinse under cold water to remove any clinging dirt, before steaming  or placing in boiling salted water to cook till tender. They don’t take long, so keep watching and checking. Another good way to serve them hot is to crush lightly after cooking, then place on a baking sheet,  drizzle generoulsy with olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, scatter with fresh rosemary, and pop in the oven to bake till golden brown. Good with roast chicken or lamb. Leftover cold cooked new potatoes (if there are any leftovers!) can be used for classic Nicoise Salad with tuna, green beans, tomatoes and black olives, dressed with vinaigrette. They can be sliced and sauteed before topping with a poached egg for a gorgeous breakfast. Chop roughly and stir into mayonnaise with finely chopped spring onion for a lovely potato salad. Yummy. How do you like yours?