In order for me to share a recipe for potato salad, I must share my lineage as the Princess of Potato Salad. My sisters may claim similar fame since our mom was officially the Queen of Potato Salad, but just for today, after creating my favorite variation of our traditional favorite, I am donning the crown.
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| Dijon and Dill Potato Salad |
We learned from the best. Tart, yellow potato salad, served piled in large bowls, was a staple at every family function in my childhood home. I may exaggerate occasionally, but this is not an exaggeration at all... we had potato salad for every gathering for as long as I can remember. The type of salad never varied, it was always traditional yellow mustard salad with hard cooked eggs, celery, onion, and dressed with Miracle Whip dressing, back in the day. Although certainly enjoyed my many, most likely why I can't get near a jar of Miracle Whip today. I did try to encourage adding other ingredients occasionally, spices, herbs, more vegetables, but the Queen of Potato Salad's response usually was, "Why would you want to do that? Everyone likes it the way it is."
I think the only inroad I ever made was with the addition of chopped pickles, but I enjoyed the small victory.
Mom chose the bowl by the number of people expected at the meal. Medium sized brown stoneware bowl was adequate for six to eight hungry adults. Grandma's white bowl with the big red dots, which I believe every grandma in the Midwest owned in the 50s, was reserved for special potato salads serving eight to ten. And on the rare occasion when the number of eaters required putting a leaf in the dining room table and perhaps setting up the card table for "the kid's", one of my sisters or I would hear, "You better get out that big, brown stoneware bowl." We would reply cautiously, knowing how heavy it would be when full of potentially ten pounds of cooked potatoes plus added ingredients, "The big bowl? Really, do you think we need the big bowl? It's kind of hard to get out of the cabinet, and then when it's full...well...will there be a man here who can carry it to the table? I suppose two of us could carry it."
Back then, depending on the size of the group, mom boiled whole potatoes, five to ten pounds at a time, heating an already hot and humid, mid-west summer kitchen to the point where windows would steam over and a lovely, russet-scented sauna filled the room.
The potatoes were then cooled and had to be peeled and diced, which took forever. White vinegar was splashed on the still warm, diced spuds, to make sure they soaked up the tart flavor. One of her secrets to a non-bland salad, was getting as much flavor into the potatoes while still warm, as possible.
The only way the salad differed was by occasionally decorating the top. A hard cooked egg, tomatoes or a few sliced radishes were saved to garnish the top of the bowl. Paprika sprinkled over it for color, of course, and it was ready to put in the fridge until company arrived. Nothing fancy, just an added touch of color and showing a bit of pride in creating something that everyone enjoyed.
The recipe I'm sharing with you today is a variation and includes everything I love in potato salad. I use red potatoes and don't peel them, saving time and nutrients found in the skin. It's best to make it a day or at least a few hours before serving to make sure the ingredients are well acquainted and flavorful.
The key to good potato salad is the basic ingredients, vary the quantities to your taste. Be creative, if you don't like mayonnaise, use low-fat sour cream or yogurt or a combination of the two. Use red onions if you prefer, chopped pickles instead of relish.
Potato Salad with Dijon and Dill
6 medium to large, red-skinned potatoes, washed well, spots removed and cut into 1" cubes.
To a large pot of well salted water, add the cubed potatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium high and cook covered, just until tender. Don't overcook or the peels will fall off.
Put potatoes in large bowl and while warm, splash with 2 T. white vinegar.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well
4-5 green onions, chopped
2 T. fresh minced dill weed (not seed) ( or 2 tsp. dried)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish or more to taste
4 hard cooked eggs, peeled and diced
salt and pepper
Mix together well and toss with ingredients in bowl - don't over mix into mush.
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. sugar
1/2 cup of olive oil mayonnaise
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
Sprinkle with paprika, decorate with an additional hard-cooked egg, or other brightly colored vegetables! Refrigerate until chilled, a few hours at least.
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