When my brother was eight or nine, he sleep-walked into our parents' room and woke our mother to ask: "What are we going to do with all the potatoes??"

She told him that we'd figure out something.

None of us knows why he felt so burdened by potatoes that night.

I mean, of all foods?

They can be stored for weeks. And used in infinite ways!

Besides, it was their scarcity, historically speaking, that caused some real nightmares.

Tiny potatoes--humbly roasted, turning holy after a piddling half-hour--could never be a grievance.

These marble-sized honey golds don't even need to be halved. You'll know them when you see them, because your voice will do the same thing it does when you see a teeny-weeny, itty-witty-bitty puppy.

And so will the checkout lady's when she goes to scan them.

Buy more than you need. You'll figure out something to do with them.

Rosemary roasted tiny potatoes

Serves 4

1-1/2 pounds tiny potatoes, washed and air-dried
2 Tbsp. olive oil
chef's measure of salt (let's guess 3/4 tsp.) and freshly-ground pepper (1/2 tsp.?)
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut any potatoes bigger than a grape in half and leave those that are smaller whole. Measure with a real grape if you must. We don't want any mistakes.

Place the potatoes in a bowl and add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary, tossing until well-coated.

Unload the potatoes onto a baking sheet (lined with foil if you're merciful to whomever's on dish duty) and spread them out into a single layer, obsessively arranging any halved potatoes cut-side down.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until browned and crispy enough to make you proud. Flip once with a spatula during the process if you need to feel useful.