potato salad | Ski Boots in the Kitchen

Labor Day… the last hurrah of summer. I love fall so much, with the cool air, changing leaves and football season, but it always makes me sad when Labor Day rolls around because it means summer is really over. Potato Salad feels like a summer dish, something you make for BBQs and beach picnics, but this recipe calls for lots of fall produce, so why not soak up the last weekend of summer with this creamy dill potato salad. I had seen this recipe a while back in one of my favorite Ina Garten cookbooks and I am glad that I tried it! The comb of dill, buttermilk and crunchy celery make this salad super flavorful. Its really easy to prepare and it makes enough to serve 8-10 people easily, so its great for a crowd. Hope you enjoy the long weekend with family, friends and good food! Cheers.

Ina Garten’s Dill Potato Salad (Serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

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

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, and place the potatoes back in 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 in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over to coat them completely.
Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Why do I always feel like I need a weekend to recover from my weekend? Busy weekends make for exhausting Mondays! We just took an amazing long weekend in Napa! It was so much fun and we drank so much wine… we took advantage of the fact that you can start wine tasting at 10am! I can’t wait to share some of my favorite wineries and pictures with you! A few of the wineries were pulling in their first grapes for harvest while we were there. Did you know the wineries pick all the grapes by hand? Hard work! I will have an exciting wine Wednesday for you this week! Check out some our amazing views in St Helena! This recipe for Caesar potato salad with sugar snap peas is one of my favorite ‘old school’ recipes from a June 2009 Bon Appetit It’s a classic! I am not a huge fan of heavy mayonnaise based potato salads in the summer (or ever) especially when its hot! This is a wonderful light option, with the crispy crunch from the sugar snap peas and radish its a fantastic side with steak, burgers, chicken- It will become your new BBQ staple! I also wanted an excuse to use my new mandolin- It makes slicing and cutting so simple! You can use a sharp knife or the side of a cheese grater to slice the radishes but a mandolin makes it a breeze! Caesar Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds unpeeled assorted fingerling potatoes or baby potatoes (such as white-skinned, red skinned and purple), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
8 ounces trimmed sugar snap peas
1 bunch radishes, trimmed, sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Steam potatoes on steamer rack set in large pot over boiling water until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and steam until peas are crisp-tender and potatoes are just fork tender, about 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Cool slightly. Add radishes and onion. (I usually steam the peas separately so I can run them under cold water after steaming. This stops the peas from over cooking and keeps them bright green and crisp- either method works!)
Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and garlic together in a small bowl. Whisk in Parmesan. Season with salt and lots of pepper.
Add dressing to potato mixture; toss to coat.
Season with more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Recipe from Bon Appatit, June 2009