15. Red, White & Blue Potato Salad

I wasn’t intending to include potato salad in this blog.  Besides the fact that I can count on a 3 lb weight gain just knowing that it’s in the fridge, I was trying to keep things a little greener, a little lighter.  However, this morning I walked into my local market to pick up a few things and there they were:  Red, white and blue potatoes.  I couldn’t resist.  

Potato salad and I go way back.  When I was growing up my parents owned a mom and pop grocery called the Mini Mart.  My dad was the butcher, and kept it well stocked with high quality meats, and my mom made TONS of homemade potato and macaroni salad, which they sold in the store.  I’m the youngest, and was never old enough to work in the store or help make the potato salad, but most of my sisters did both.  

Here’s my version of my mom’s potato salad*.  I was going to come up with something herby and healthy, but....it’s potato salad.  I decided to stick with a classic and give it a red, white and blue twist.

Ingredients

3-4 lbs red, white and blue potatoes, unpeeled and chopped into cubes of uniform size

2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 medium red onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

4 boiled eggs, cooled, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf italian parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

1 cup good mayonnaise

2 Tbsp yellow mustard

1 tsp Colman’s mustard powder (the spicy kind)

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

1/2 tsp each coarsely ground sea salt and black pepper

Boil the potatoes in well salted water.  You want the potatoes to still be firm so they don’t mash when you toss them with dressing and veggies.  There are so many variables that I can’t tell you how long to cook them.  Just keep a fork handy and test them after they’ve boiled for 10-15 minutes, and pull them out right away when they’re fork tender.  Drain, run cold water over them to stop cooking, and set aside to cool.

Chop your veggies and make your dressing.  As soon as the potatoes have cooled combine with celery, onions, parsley, and dressing.  Gently fold it all together.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate for at least an hour, or until you’re ready to serve.

You may find, when making this salad ahead of time, that the potatoes soak up the dressing, making it a little dry for some.  Personally, I'm okay with this (did I mention the 3 lb weight gain every time I make it?).  If you like it a little heavier dressed, make up an extra half batch of the dressing--just keep the proportions the same.

*Disclaimer:  I did say it was my version, so I have taken some liberties with the family recipe.