New Potato Salad

New Potato Salad Ina GartenThey Call Me…‘Tater Salad

My mom had her birthday over the weekend, so we celebrated at my house with one of her (and my) favorite dinners: Baby Back Ribs, Coleslaw, Cornbread, Beans and Potato Salad. Oh! And don’t forget the coconut cupcakes…again, Mom’s favorite. My sister and I split the cooking duties, and I admit we may have gone a little crazy—but we had a couple good excuses.

The best excuse was Mom’s birthday. So, why not? The other excuse? My sister and I are trying to cook as many dishes for our next Cookbook Club dinner as we can and we had a captive audience. So again, why not?

The required book this time around is anything written by The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. She has a number of cookbooks, and most of her recipes can be found on foodnetwork.com. Her cooking is approachable, uncomplicated, and always tasty. For Mom’s Birthday BBQ, the beans, potato salad and the cupcakes were all Ina recipes.

The potato salad happened because I knew that most of the party goers under 5 feet tall were not going to get near the cole slaw. (Cabbage, in any form, is apparently poisonous to kids). I have always been a big fan of potato salad, but this particular recipe is by far one of my favorites and I make it often—though I do tweak it a bit ’cause I can. Adding hard-boiled eggs is my favorite tweak.

No matter if you leave it alone or give it your own twist, try this recipe. With BBQ season fast approaching it’s the perfect recipe for any outdoor get-togethers…or just ’cause. 

New Potato Salad
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten
FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients
3 pounds small red potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup good mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk, milk, or white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion

Directions
Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl.

While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. (As the salad sits, you may need to add more dressing.) Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. I like to add diced, hard-boiled eggs. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Serve cold or at room temperature.
©2005, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved
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