POTATO SALADS WITH PERK
Potato salads are welcome any time of year but are especially popular during the summer for picnics, barbecues and family cookouts.
During the hot months we prepare ours without mayonnaise. Instead, we use lighter dressings based on extra virgin olive oil or yogurt. We add just enough dressing to flavor the potatoes, not to drench them.
To liven them, we mix in other cooked vegetables such as baby broccoli, peppers or beets, or even fruit like pomegranate arils or raisins, or nuts such as walnuts or pine nuts.
Using baby potatoes makes the salads easier to prepare. Because they are small, they cook quickly. They are thin-skinned so there’s no need to peel them. We find that they have the best flavor when we cook them whole.
Potato and Pepper Salad With Olives Yield: 4 servings INGREDIENTS
11⁄2 pounds baby yellow-fleshed potatoes, whole Salt to taste
3 tablespoons chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon wine vinegar or fruit vinegar
1 tablespoon water 2-3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
6 Anaheim peppers or 3 green bell peppers, roasted and peeled (see cook’s note)
1-2 red bell peppers, roasted and peeled (see cook’s note) or from a jar
10-12black olives, pitted and halved
1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro or Italian parsley
Garlic yogurt sauce (optional): 1 large garlic clove, minced 1cup whole milk yogurt Pinch of salt
Hot pepper olive oil (for drizzling)
PROCEDURE
1: Put potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of coarse salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat about 15 minutes or until just fork-tender. Drain and rinse briefly.
2: While potatoes are still fairly warm, cut each one in two to four slices and put them in a large bowl. Add onion, vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Let them marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
3: Discard caps of roasted peppers and gently scrape off seeds and cores; don’t rinse them — that washes away flavor. Cut peppers in strips. Add peppers and olives to potatoes. Fold in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and half the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve salad sprinkled with remaining cilantro. 4: Garlic yogurt sauce: Mix garlic into yogurt; add salt to taste. Spoon dollop of the sauce onto each portion of potato salad and drizzle with hot pepper oil. Cook’s note: To roast and peel peppers: Set bell peppers on a slotted broiler pan or in a roasting pan, lined with foil if you like. Broil, turning peppers a few times, until they are charred on all surfaces, about 7-12 minutes (slim Anaheim peppers roast faster than bell peppers). Remove from broiler. If you broiled peppers on foil, enclose them in the foil; otherwise put them in a bowl and cover, or put them in a plastic or paper bag and close bag. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel with aid of a paring knife. Cut them in half, draining off any liquid.
Potato Salad With Pomegranate and Pine Nuts Yield: 3-4 servings INGREDIENTS
11⁄2 pounds baby potatoes, yellow-fleshed or assorted colors, whole Salt to taste 4teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided 2-3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste About 3cups baby spinach leaves 2 1⁄2-3 teaspoons minced dill 1⁄4 cup quarter slices of red onion, separated into slivers 1⁄3-1⁄2 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2-3 tablespoons dried blueberries or raisins
PROCEDURE
1: Put potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of coarse salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until just forktender. If using potatoes of different sizes, check smaller ones after 10 minutes and remove them when tender, then simmer remaining potatoes for 5-6 more minutes.
2: Drain potatoes and rinse briefly. Cut each potato in two or three crosswise slices and put them in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon olive oil; let marinate while preparing other ingredients.
3: Just before serving, put spinach leaves in a bowl. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon dill and a pinch of salt. Mix gently and spread on a serving platter.
4: Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon dill to potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon potato mixture onto center of spinach. Sprinkle with red onion slivers and remaining dill, and with pomegranate arils, pine nuts and dried blueberries or raisins.
Potato Salad With Chickpeas and Baby Broccoli
Yield: 3-4 servings INGREDIENTS
1pound baby yellow-fleshed potatoes, whole
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon water 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 1⁄4-1 1⁄2 cups cooked chickpeas (half a 9-ounce package or half a 15-ounce can, drained)
1⁄2 large carrot, very fine dice 1⁄3 cup chopped green onions 8-10 green olives
1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or garlic-herb seasoning blend Freshly ground pepper to taste 1tablespoon mayonnaise, preferably vegan
1 1⁄2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard bunch baby broccoli, cut in florets Red pepper flakes (for garnish) 1-2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (for garnish)
PROCEDURE
1: Put potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of coarse salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat about 15 minutes or until just fork-tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a strainer, reserving cooking liquid. Rinse potatoes briefly and drain.
2: Cut smaller potatoes in half; quarter remaining potatoes. Put them in a bowl. Add vinegar, 1 teaspoon water, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let stand while preparing the other ingredients, about 15 minutes.
3: Add chickpeas and remaining tablespoon olive oil to potatoes. Add carrots and green onions. Quarter 2olives and reserve for garnish. Dice remaining olives and add to potato mixture. Add Italian seasoning and freshly ground pepper.
4: Mix mayonnaise and mustard in a very small bowl. Fold into potato mixture. Taste for seasoning.
5: Add more water to potato cooking liquid if necessary so there is enough to cover broccoli. Bring water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and broccoli florets and boil uncovered until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse briefly.
6: To serve, put broccoli around edges of a serving dish and spoon potato salad into center. Garnish with quartered olives, pepper flakes and parsley.