917-604-7591 [email protected]

wc-2014-10-16-14.57.44

I first posted this is January.Which is not the middle of summer, but I thought potato salad would go well for the Super Bowl. It's football season again, with NFL preseason games on the tube tonight. So, winter or summer, end of season or just preseason, potato salad is always a delight for your table.

The picture above shows potato salad as I like it: heavily dressed. My wonderful wife Suzen has other ideals for how salad should appear, so I sometimes make two separate bowls: one like this for me, one far more Spartan for her. I've tried to explain, but she is adamant: as little dressing as possible.

The amount of dressing is one thing. The flavors are another. This recipe, from Potato Salad by Debbie Moose, is a great example of how to send your salad on a deep flavor journey. It's Potato Salad Olé for multiple reasons: the green chiles, the chili powder, the cumin. This is a good template for creating your own personal and very special potoato salad. Consider a few options:

The dressing is typically just mayonaisse, but in this recipe it is sour cream. Do a mix and match or add some creme fraiche for rich elegance. Add some lemon or lime juice to the dressing itself to change both the texture and the flavor. Or, do what I do: find a great vinegar and add just a tablespoon or so to send the flavor dashing.

Try some protein. Crumbled bacon, not too much, can just make this salad more substantial. If you cook the bacon by baking it with maple syrup and/or brown sugar, you'll add a sweetness that can contrast with, say, the green chiles you see here. If not bacon, then little pieces of high quality ham swimming in that dressing would be an option.

The veggies can be altered. Again for sweetness, and for color, a little bit of shreded carrot would be a surprise. Instead of chopped onion, sliced scallons offer a differetn texture and color.

The cilantro here can be swapped out for other herbs of your choice, for example, it's cousin parsley.

And you can always sprinkle in some outside inspiration: capers, diced olives, certainly diced pickles, and even some chunks of anchovy. Want a salad that can be a main meal? Add in some flaked crab meat and serve over a bed of lettuce.

Suzen and I make potato salad over and over again. It's never the same twice. But we always have the same discussion about how much dressing.

You are welcome to make this recipe below just as you see it, but it's even better to succumb to temptation and make your salad your way.


Potato Salad Olé

Yield: serves 6, well, 3 for a long game

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered but not peeled
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 3 tablespoons canned chopped green chiles, drained
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Put the potatoes in the pan. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are pierced easily with the tip of a sharp knife. Cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, stir together the onions, garlic, green chiles, chili powder, oregano, cumin, sour cream, salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Add the potatoes and toss until coated. Cover and refrigerate for several hours to overnight.

Source: Potato Salad by Debbie Moose [Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]

Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/5 for 1/60th second at ISO 100