Potato Salad Days

Friday, June 27, 2008

It’s when I revisit the recipes of my childhood that I understand how far the idea of fresh, local food has come.  Recipes were selected, items purchased at the grocery store, directions were followed.  That was it.  There was little concept of seasonality, of what looked good at the supermarket, or of even using fresh herbs rather than dried.

Growing up, there were two kinds of potato salad in our house.  One contained dill (dried, of course), chunks of peeled Idaho potatoes, and gobs of mayonnaise.  The other contained parsley (dried, of course), chunks of Idaho potatoes, and gobs of white vinegar.  I always preferred the latter, which we referred to as “German” potato salad.  It may have been that we had that type for most of the summer, and, thus, I have a pleasant, accompanying association of summer.  Or, it could be my aversion to most forms of mayonnaise - excepting soy-based or home-made.  Wishing to recreate my childhood potato salad with local food, I decided to take advantage of Culton Organics‘ beautiful tri-colored fingerling potatoes.

Note:  I was not surprised to find Italian versions of this (thus the use of olive oil) from the North of Italy.  There are many dishes from this area that closely resemble German or Austrian dishes.

What follows is only the outline of recipe.  The possibilities for variations are endless: rendered bacon for some salted crunch, an additional herb (lemon balm, mint, dill), bitter greens (young dandelion or radichio), anchovy fillets (mashed into the oil), or even hard-boiled egg.  Obviously, the most important thing is the quality of the potatoes; that is what you want to feature here - everything else should support that. One more thing - whatever you’re putting the salad, be sure to have everything prepped and ready to go.  I’ve found that the potatoes absorb the flavors best when they are still warm as you mix everything. 

2 lbs. fingerling potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces (the exact dimensions are not as important as uniformity, to ensure cooking)
1/2 c. chopped parsley
olive oil to taste
lemon juice to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are fork-tender.  Strain and dump into a mixing bowl.  Toss with parsley, olive oil and lemon juice.  Let sit for thirty minutes.