Nothing says summer like potato salad. It’s a standby at all the summer holidays, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. If you are throwing a picnic or BBQ, people have come to expect it on the table, but that sloppy mess that the grocery store is serving you is not, I repeat, not potato salad. I know it takes time and it is not a pleasant summer past time to be in a hot kitchen when the afternoon breeze is calling you to the shade of your garden.
I mean who wants to be lording over a stockpot full of boiling potatoes in the heat of the day? Not someone without air conditioning that’s who; so when you live in an old Victorian with no ac but the shade from the old growth trees surrounding your home, you learn a few little tricks and tips to make this summer staple a dish that you don’t dread when requested. First stop peeling your potatoes. Just stop. It’s ridiculous. The peel holds any vitamins and minerals you may happen to get after boiling and it adds texture and color to the dish.
I personally don’t peel potatoes for any dish, it’s charming, rustic and it saves my sanity, totally worth it. Also, buy the babies. There is no need to buy big honking potatoes when they sell the mini ones so readily. They take less time to boil, which equals less hot kitchen time as well as more fluffy potatoes, the more time they are in the water, the more water logged they get. With mayo, remember you can always add more but you cannot remove it. Finally, chop your onions while your potatoes are boiling then after you drain the water add them in right away, the steam softens the texture and the sharpness, making them milder and your potatoes soak up all that onion flavor to boot!
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To a new way of doing old things,
Marcella Rose
