When Noble Pig decides to host a potato Ho-Down, and I have potatoes in the kitchen and herbs coming out my ears, all begging to be made into herby, tangy potato salad, I can't help but climb on the potato Ho wagon, even though my Ho name is so not a good Ho name. Whatever. This is the best potato salad ever.
The thing is, you can use whatever fresh herbs you have, and whatever onion/garlic family member floats your boat. I had parsley, basil and scallions from the CSA (on the right), a bag of freshly dug new potatoes from a farm stand, and thyme, sage, tarragon and oregano in my garden (on the left). I also had some cilantro from the CSA - but I was making this to eat with my mother, who is in the cilantro-tastes-like-soap camp, so I left it out.
I washed enough potatoes for two people, and cut them in half, mostly so they'd cook a little quicker. I dropped them into nicely salted boiling water. When they were done (stick 'em with a fork), I drained them and dumped a bowl of ice cubes on top of the cooling potatoes, still in the colander. Then I sliced the scallions and minced up all the herbs together. All the greenery went into a bowl. I then whacked the now room-temperature potatoes up into cubes and dumped them in the bowl. Everything got dressed with salt, pepper, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Bang zoom, you're done.
Yes, Virginia, there is no mayonnaise. If you wanted to be fancy, you could whip up a nice emulsified vinaigrette instead of just splashing in the oil and vinegar. If you have no tarragon, so what? If you have red onion in lieu of scallions, sure - use some. Really, it's the easiest thing ever, and probably the most forgiving. And, did I mention that it has no mayonnaise?
I keep mentioning the mayonnaise because I loathe mayonnaise (even though I think I should like it, and I keep trying it because I think I should like it). But mainly because the lack of mayonnaise means that it's a good potato salad to make in enormous quantities for a big summer party, like W. and I did for our wedding thirteen years ago.
Do you really want to know my (first pet/middle name) Ho name? Schwartz Catherine. It's a good thing I'm not walking the streets.
There'll be a Potato Ho-Down round-up at Noble Pig on July 16th...plan to go visit!
20 comments:
I'm absurdly happy to find another mayonnaise loather. (though, in my case, it's merely a subset of my hatred for all condiments)
I grew up in Virginia where pretty much everything needs mayonaise. It's really not a favorite condiment of mine. My dislike of it has built up over the years. I made a potato salad yesterday (no mayo) with ricotta and parm, scallions, etc. Very basic but very good.
Interesting. May try this.
But really, the thing people from the Old Country would do with new potatoes? Boil in salt water, drain, add butter, crushed garlic and fresh herbs (dill in particular is good here), shake and serve. Shake is important. Letting it sit for a few, possibly under a dish towel is also good, to infuse the garlic throughout. Yum, yum, yum.
Num num. I'm growing potatoes for the first time this year and hope that they will prove salad-worthy.
Hate mayonnaise. Love potato salad...that looks awesome.
Love mayo, but this looks awesome!
My Ho Wagon name? Daisy Lee.
have you tried making mayonnaise yourself? with a tad of garlic? i'll bet you'd like it then. :-)
and as for ho name, grey kay would just not cut it.. :-) ha!
thanks for a monday laugh and a great summery recipe!
and now i get what CSA means, thanks! ;-)
have I said yum yet? Yum
I love potato anything.
i love potato salad. yum.
And Schwartz Catherine sounds so sexy.
mayo is the stuff of the devil. i knew i loved you for all the right reasons.
I agree, sounds delish.
I'm so excited to know there IS a cilantro-tastes-like-soap camp! Now I know where to go! You're mom is smart.
Why am I so inferior and unable to make a decent potatoe salad? I could take EXACTLY the same ingrediants you listed here and mine would suck. I have sucktatious pototoe salad. I'm sad. (And I like mayo.)
How did you know I have new potatoes from the Farmer's Market? But they had no direction. They didn't know if they wanted to be a salad or roasted or baked. Now they have a destiny. Thank you.
Oh, and I LOVE potato salad with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Much tastier than the mayonnaise kind.
Oh, I love potato salad (especially a non-mayonnaisey one!) and the Noble Pig, too! (I didn't know you were a fellow reader!)
Ohhhh....I'm crazy over mayonnaise too! I spread it on almost every possible thing, like my bread or dip my french fries in it too!
I do like mayonnaise but that potato salad looks delicious.
I'm one of the few people on this earth that hates mayo, so this dish is perfect for me. Thanks for participating and I can't wait to see what you come up with next month.
Love mayo, but this does sound good even without it. Your "ho" name did make me laugh!
My mouth is watering just looking at it. Must put potatoes on the grocery list for tomorrow!
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