Classic Potato Salad

 

Nancy’s Notes: Memorial Day 2010 I felt the need to begin the summer season with a big bowl of homemade potato salad. I’ve never had a recipe that I was thrilled with and remember that our son Steven found a recipe last year that he liked a great deal. I checked his recipe blog – http://yackelsyummies.blogspot.com and found Classic Potato Salad. I’m including Steven’s remarks along with the recipe as he posted it. I agree – this is a winner!

Check out Steven’s Yackels Yummies blog for many other recipes worthy of your time and taste buds. He only posts recipes that he’s made himself. He loves to try a large variety of new recipes from many sources and shares the family’s favorites. Tammy and Jasmine’s only complaint is that he rarely repeats even recipes they’ve rated 5 stars.

Post from Yackels Yummies – June 14, 2009

In the last Food Network Magazine they held a contest for the best potato salad.  They faced off last years "Next Food Network Star" winner Aaron McCargo Jr. against Paula Deen.  Now if you are like me, you look at this match up and think, " This isn’t even a fair contest."  Paula Deen has a huge following, I am sure she has made more pounds of potato salad than an Idaho potato farmers wife, and poor Aaron is the brand new guy.
Well i can tell you that Aaron stood up to the challenge and made the most phenomenal potato salad that I have had.  The truth be known, I don’t even like potato salad that much.  I always gravitate to the macaroni salad instead, but this recipe has me coming back for second and third helpings every time.  Those who know me know that I do not usually make a recipe for than once – life is to short.  I have already made this one twice and plan on making it all summer long.

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 27 minutes
Start to finish: 27 minutes
Source: Food Network Magazine – June/July 2009 pg 62
3 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes (about 1.25 Lbs.), Peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Onion, diced
1/2 Cup Celery, diced
2 Tablespoons Sweet Relish
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Scallion, thinly sliced
1.    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and spread out on a sheet pan to cool. Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the eggs; cook for 12 minutes, then remove to a bowl of ice water to cool completely. Peel the eggs under cold running water, then roughly chop.
2.    In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, relish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the mayonnaise. Fold in the potatoes, eggs and scallions. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Jicama Orange Salad

From: Gold’n Delicious – Junior League of Spokane, page 95

Dressing

1/3 cup vegetable oil

¼ cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1½ teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed

½ teaspoons orange peel, grated

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad

2 cups jicama, peeled and cut into julienne strips

2 cups red, green and/or orange bell peppers, cut into julienne strips

8 cups mixed greens, rinsed and torn

2 medium oranges, peeled and sliced crosswise

4 or 5 chives, snipped, optional

Combine dressing ingredients and mix well. Place jicama and peppers in a bowl and toss with half the dressing. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Refrigerate remaining dressing.

Place greens in a large bowl. Drizzle desired amount of remaining dressing over the greens and toss. Arrange orange slices around the edge of the bowl. Add chives to jicama mixture, if desired, and spoon into the center of the salad. Serve immediately. Serves 10.

Jicama is a legume that grows underground. It is sweet, crisp and low in calories. If you’ve never tried it, you are missing a real treat!

Nancy’s Notes: Made January 4, 2010 – We all liked, interesting combination of flavors. Caraway seeds added to the dressing flavor but I don’t know how you crush them. I got out my mortar and pestle and ground away, never able to break any down.

Mandarin Salad

From: Colorado Cache – Junior League of Denver, page 85

½ cup sliced almonds

3 tablespoons sugar

½ head iceberg lettuce

½ head romaine lettuce

1 cup chopped celery

2 whole green onions, chopped

1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

Dressings

½ teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

dash of Tabasco sauce

In a small pan over medium heat, cook almonds and sugar, stirring constantly until almonds are coated and sugar dissolved. Watch carefully as they will burn easily. Cool and store in air-tight container. Mix all dressing ingredients and chill. Mix lettuces, celery and onions. Just before serving add almonds and oranges. Toss with the dressing.

Nancy’s Notes: I like to use Boston head lettuce. Another recipe that has become a family standard.

Maple Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

From: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/

½ cup real maple syrup

½ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix first five ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly pour in olive oil in a small stream while whisking or whipping with a fork.

Nancy’s Notes: I was trying to duplicate a salad Judy and I share at the Hurricane Cafe in Juno Beach. Found a dressing recipe on the web, I’m not sure how well it matches the Hurricane’s but it was a very nice dressing, especially for a salad with apple or pear slices. We couldn’t remember if there was anything in the Hurricane salad besides spring greens, grilled pears and sugared pecans but decided red onion and feta cheese wouldn’t be out of place. Very nice results.

Tomato & Bread Salad

From: Art of Cooking – Junior League of Ogden (Utah), page 62

 

¾ pound day-old crusty bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

2 cloves garlic, mashed with 1 tablespoon of coarse salt

2 large tomatoes (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 8 wedges each

¼ cup cucumber, sliced

½ cup red onion, sliced

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

10 fresh basil leave, shredded

In serving bowl, stir together bread, garlic, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, oil, vinegar and basil. If your bread isn’t stale, toast it until lightly golden brown. Adjust seasonings as needed. Stir well. Let stand for 1 hour before servings.

Serves 4-6.

Nancy’s Notes: Love this during tomato season – we ate immediately before the bread gets soggy. I’ve used dried basil if I don’t have fresh and once didn’t have a cucumber so used diced fresh red pepper for some crunchiness. We make it a meal.

Nancy’s Fresh Cranberry Relish

 

2 bags fresh cranberries

2 navel oranges

1 large Jonagold apple

¾-1 cup sugar

Rinse cranberries, discarding any bad ones. Cut apple and oranges into chunks – do not peel. Using a food processor, turned on, drop handfuls of fruit through feed tube. Stop a couple of times to scrap down the sides of the bowl. Empty into mixing bowl. Repeat until all the fruit is ground. Add ¾ – 1 cup sugar. Stir to dissolved. Chill. Store in covered container.

Nancy’s Notes: My mother always made a fresh cranberry relish for the Cutright family Thanksgiving dinner. I much prefer fresh to cooked. This keeps well in the frig or freezer. I like to keep this on hand during the fresh cranberry season, goes well with many dinner dishes, not just turkey. Think of all the good vitamin A.

Grilled Pear Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

From: Colorado Classique – Junior League of Denver

Dressing

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed

¼ small onion, peeled and quartered

1 cup mayonnaise (prefer Hellmann’s, avoid brands that are too “sugary”)

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Tabasco sauce to taste

1 ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, or to taste

Sauteed or Grilled Pears

3 pears, each peeled and cut lengthwise into 8 slices

Fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flavorless salad oil (lite olive, canola or soy)

Pinch of salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Freshly ground nutmeg to taste

4-8 cups mixed greens

¼ cup toasted walnuts

Mince garlic in a food processor. Add parsley leaves and pulse until finely minced. Add onion quarters and pulse until finely shopped. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Process until smooth and well blended. Season to taste with pepper and Tabasco. Add blue cheese and pulse to desired texture.

Nancy’s Notes: I saved ½ cup of the blue cheese and added after the last pulse to keep the texture of some of the crumbles. Michael liked and took some home. This recipe makes much more than necessary for this salad but what’s wrong with homemade blue cheese dressing in the frig?

To prepare pears, toss pears carefully in a bit of fresh lemon juice; set aside. If sauting, melt better with oil in a skillet until hot. When the sizzling has subsided, carefully saute pear slices, turning, until the yare golden on both sides. To grill pears, heat a narrow-ridged grill pan, brushing grids with a mixture of butter and oil. Grill pears until nicely marked on both sides. Season finished pears with light sprinklings of salt, pepper, and fresh nutmeg. Divide mixed greens among 4 individual plates. Top greens equally with pear slices. Serve salad with dressing and top with toasted walnuts.

Nancy’s Notes: I served in large salad bowl with a pitcher of dressing. I candied the walnuts with 2 tablespoons of sugar as I toasted them. Made 11-2-09.

Cucumber Salad with Pineapple & Jalapeno

From: Art of Cooking – Art of Cooking – Junior League of Ogden (Utah), page 57

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 carrot, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips

1/8 cup red onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon jalapeno, seed and finely diced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

lettuce leaves

Bring first 4 ingredients to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer until reduce to 2/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Transfer syrup to large bowl and refrigerate until cold.

Add pineapple to syrup. cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Add cucumber and next three ingredients to pineapple mixture;stir to coat. Line plates with lettuce leaves. Spoon salad atop lettuce, Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

Suggestion: Serve this salad as a fiery first course for an Asian-style entree such as a stir-fry, or use it as a side dish for grilled chicken or fish. Servings 6-8.

Nancy’s Notes: I made this 10/05/09 for Bob and Michael. I think it was the hit of the meal. Michael was happy to take some home.

 

Cool Tomato and Cucumber Salad

From: Worth Tasting, Junior League of the Palm Beaches

2 cucumbers

4 large carrots

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed

8 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 (6-ounce) can pitted black olives, drained

1 envelope Italian dressing mix prepared

Cut the cucumber lengthwise into halves and scrape out the seeds using a spoon. Cut each half into thin slices. Peel and thinly slice the carrots.

Place the cheese in a large salad bowl. Add the cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and olives to the bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Chill covered for 3 hours or longer; stir. Serve chilled.

Nancy’s Notes: I used fresh heirloom tomatoes from the garden – red and yellow. I think this would be even better using fresh mozzarella.

Palm Beach Pear Salad

From: Worth Tasting, Junior League of the Palm Beaches

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

2 Bartlett pears, cut into quarters and sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups arugula

¼ cup (1-ounce) shaved Parmesan cheese

¼ cup walnut, chopped

Mix the butter and sugar in a bowl. Add the pears and toss to coat. Spread the pear slices on a baking sheet and roast at 500° until light brown on both sides, turning occasionally.

Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Toss the arugula, pears and vinaigrette in a salad bowl until coated. Top with the cheese and walnuts and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Nancy’s Notes: I failed with roasting the pears, they turned to mush. I sliced a fresh pear into the salad and we all liked. Need to try again, I’m thinking sautéing the pears in a skillet might work. I used romaine since I’m not a fan of arugula.