DILL POTATO SALAD

If you like dill, then you’re gonna love this potato salad.  My taste testers gobbled this up, and I enjoyed it as well.  The dill flavor is infused by cooking the potatoes with chopped dill, drizzling the cooked potatoes with dill vinegar, and adding dill vinegar and minced dill to the dressing.  Once you taste this, you will understand why dill and potatoes were made for each other.  There is a downside to this recipe, though.  The potato salad does not keep well.  The flavors deteriorate quickly and by the third day the salad is not edible.  So you can make this for your next gathering, but plan on eating most of it the day it’s made and finishing it up the next day. 

P. S.  Our favorite potato salad is a 1970-something recipe titled “All-American Potato Salad,” but when my dill crop comes in, I’ll be making this Dill Potato Salad again.

Dill Potato Salad Adapted half recipe from Cook’s Country Rating:  9 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

INGREDIENTS: 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 1-1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh dill, divided use 1/4 cup dill leaves and stems, chopped 1-1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4” pieces 1/2 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt + 1/4 tsp. for dressing 1/8 tsp. white pepper 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt*, or sour cream 1-1/2 tsps. Dijon mustard 2 green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced *Fage Greek yogurt tastes most like sour cream.  Most Greek yogurts are extremely tart. Combine vinegar and 1/2 Tbsp. minced dill in bowl and microwave until steaming, 30-60 seconds.  Cool 15-20 minutes.  (Remaining 1 Tbsp. dill is stirred into finished salad.) Meanwhile, place 1/4 cup dill leaves and stems in disposable coffee filter and tie closed with kitchen twine.  Bring potatoes, dill sachet, 1/2 Tbsp. salt and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch to a boil in heavy pot over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain potatoes; transfer to large bowl, discarding dill packet.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp. cooled dill vinegar over hot potatoes and gently toss.  (Remaining dill vinegar is added to dressing.)  Refrigerate 30 minutes, stirring once. In small bowl, whisk together mayo, yogurt or sour cream, remaining dill vinegar, mustard, 1/4 tsp. salt and white pepper.  Pour over cooled potatoes.  Stir in green onions with remaining 1 Tbsp. minced dill.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to blend flavors.  Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper, if needed.  Yield:  4-6 servings

THE NEW ALL-AMERICAN POTATO SALAD

Sometimes a small tweak is all you need to change a great recipe to a really great recipe.  My go-to potato salad is a real crowd pleaser.  I’ve tried others, but it’s the one I keep going back to.  The warm sliced, cooked Idaho potatoes are marinated in a dressing of vegetable oil, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and onions.  When cooled, they’re mixed with sliced celery, chopped hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise mixed with light cream. 

 Here’s what I did:  I used Yukon Gold potatoes.  Instead of cooking the potatoes whole and then peeling them when they’re cooked and still hot, I peeled them BEFORE cooking them, and cut them into cubes.  They cooked a lot faster (about 8 minutes, vs. 20-25 minutes) and I didn’t burn my fingers from peeling hot potatoes.  I used extra-virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar in the dressing instead of the usual vegetable oil and cider vinegar.  I chopped the celery instead of slicing it, and added the mayo straight instead of diluting it with cream. 

The transformation was nothing short of amazing.  Hubby and I couldn’t stop raving over this potato salad.  This is the way I’ll be making it from now on.

What a perfect accompaniment to our steak dinner, along with some sauteed beet greens.

THE NEW ALL-AMERICAN POTATO SALAD Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE INGREDIENTS:

3 medium-size Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, chopped 1/2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt 2 Tbsp. Colavita extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp.  Colavita white balsamic vinegar 1/2 medium-size onion, chopped fine (about 1/3 cup) 3/4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1/3 – 1/2 cup lite mayonnaise (Hellmann’s or Duke) 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and diced 1/2 cup diced celery Cover potatoes with water  in 2-quart pot.  Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and bring to low boil over medium heat.  Cook about 5 minutes, or till potatoes are fork tender.  Drain; cool slightly and return to pot.  Prepare dressing:  Combine oil, vinegar, chopped onion, salt and pepper in a jar with a screw top.  Cover jar and shake to mix. Pour over warm potatoes and toss to mix well.  Cover pot and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to blend flavors and cool potatoes thoroughly.   Just  before serving:  Stir in mayonnaise, diced eggs and celery, and toss lightly.  Line a salad bowl with Boston lettuce, if desired, and fill bowl with salad.  Sprinkle top with paprika and serve.  Yield:  6-8 servings

GRILLED LEEK AND BABY YUKON POTATO SALAD, ADAPTED

New recipes can come from many sources. This one was attached to a package of leeks. Ocean Mist leeks. The recipe is from….surprise…..Ocean Mist. I’m usually leery of recipes that come attached to produce or are in the produce aisle on a recipe card. But this one caught my eye and sounded good. Too good to ignore. So I tried it with just some minor tweaks, and guess what? It was good. No, it was very good. The intense flavors of the grilled veggies mingled beautifully with olives, balsamic vinegar, garlic and olive oil and left my mouth with a lingering sweetness.

Okay, I mean I really liked it, but hubby wouldn’t take a second bite. He said potato salad is supposed to have mayonnaise on it, not oil and vinegar. Hey, it’s okay. I mean after 45-11/12 years, I’m used to it. So I ate it all myself. Not all at once of course. Since there was no mayo in the salad, it was really good sautéed with eggs for breakfast.

And I enjoyed it for lunch too. I’ll make this again – when we have company.

Grilled Leek & Baby Yukon Gold Potato Salad Adapted from oceanmistfarms.com Rating: 9 out of 10 Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS: 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, boiled till almost tender, cooled 1 large leek rib, split, washed under cool running water 3 Tbsp. roasted red peppers, chopped 2 Tbsp. chopped olives 3 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar 1/4 tsp. garlic, grated or finely chopped Sea Salt and Pepper to taste 2 Tbsp. good-quality extra-virgin olive oil (I used Colavita) Grill potatoes and leek till tender, about 10 minutes on a medium-hot grill (375-400F), turning once. Remove; coarsely chop; combine with remaining ingredients in bowl and toss. Serve warm or chilled. This will serve 4 small eaters, or two big eaters. Double or triple recipe for a larger group.

ALL-AMERICAN POTATO SALAD

This is an old recipe I think from 1976. Woman's Day Magazine or Family Circle, if my memory is working, had a removable insert entitled "All-American Recipes" or something like that. 1976 was the year of America's bicentennial and magazines were covering homes decorated in red, white and blue and publishing patriotic-type recipes. The parade on July 4, 1976, in our little town of Long Valley, NJ, was memorable, since our friend (who was also the mayor) built a "train" that he could trail on his International Harvester tractor. I made a Colonial dress and hat, made Colonial costumes for my two boys and we rode in the train in the parade. This wonderful recipe is a product of the bicentennial hoopla. You won't be disappointed if you make it -- it always brings rave reviews. My changes are noted below. The recipe, as is, says it yields 6 servings. All I can say is they are very big eaters, those 6. We are little people and we eat smaller portions, I guess, because this recipe is enough for us when we have a crowd. If I make it just for us, I halve it and it lasts us for a week.

ALL-AMERICAN POTATO SALAD

INGREDIENTS: 6 medium-size baking potatoes (recipe calls for Maine or Long Island)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use Smart Balance)
1/4 cup cider vinegar (don't substitute other vinegars)
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 tsp. salt (recipe calls for 2-1/2, I reduced it and I use only sea salt)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (recipe does not call for parsley)
3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing (I use Smart Balance mayo)
1/4 cup fat-free half and half (recipe calls for light cream)
3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and diced
1 cup thinly sliced celery

DIRECTIONS: Scrub potatoes and place in large pot with enough water to cover. (I have an electric egg cooker for the eggs, but sometimes I just put the eggs in the
pot with the potatoes --at the top of course, but covered with water-- and
leave the lid off til the water comes to a boil, then set the timer for 7
minutes, scoop the eggs out and put the lid on the potatoes to finish cooking.)
Bring water to a boil, then reduce slightly to maintain a low boil, and cover
potatoes. Check potatoes after 15 minutes by piercing with a fork. When
fork enters potato easily, potato is done. They may not all be done at the
same time, so remove the potatoes as they are done and place on a wire rack
to cool. If you let them stay in too long they could get mushy, so watch them
carefully. While potatoes are cooling, prepare dressing: Combine oil,
vinegar, chopped onion, salt and pepper in a jar with a screw top. Cover
jar and shake to mix. Peel and slice the potatoes into a large bowl when
they have cooled enough to handle -- but don't let them cool completely.
Add the chopped parsley. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and parsley,
toss to blend well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or
until serving time. I have prepared up to this point the night before.) Just
before serving: whisk mayo with half and half in a small bowl until smooth;
pour over potatoes, and toss to coat. Add peeled diced eggs and celery and
toss lightly. Line a salad bowl with Boston lettuce, if desired, and fill bowl
with salad. Sprinkle top with paprika and serve.

Here's a photo of the halved recipe -- you can see the little jar I used for
the dressing. The dressing has just been poured over the potatoes. I
added the parsley later.