Best Ever Potato Salad  

Serves: 8 people, as a side dish 
Prep time: 10-15 minutes 
Cook Time: 30 min + 9 minutes
Rest Time: 30 minutes
Make Ahead: Up to 2 Days 

With all of the potato salad recipes out there do we really need another one?  Us included, we had our recipe down pat.  Made it every year, and it is delicious.  Then, with a few careful tweaks and drawing on a technique used in other potato recipes: we have updated the classic we know and love for the better. 

Seven steps to better potato salad: 

• Choose your potato wisely: Make sure it is not too old, and not too starchy.   If you can get your hands on the rare yet coveted Huckleberry Gold, this is our latest favourite.  A good quality yellow fleshed potato is perfect as well. 
• Peel the potatoes completely (skins in potato salad tend to fall of and give a papery texture). 
• Cut potatoes into a large dice to cook.  This is definitely a change-up from our former ways, where leaving them whole was our preference.  Read on for more! 
• Once you've added your peeled & diced potatoes to your pot, cover with COLD water (always--ensures an evenly cooked potato) and then add 2-3 tablespoons of VINEGAR to the water.  This technique keeps the shape of the potato, keeps too much dressing from absorbing, and extends the shelf life of the salad.  NOTE: it does increase your cooking time. 
• SALT your potatoes well!  With enough salt at the beginning you flavour the potatoes from the inside out, leaving only minimal seasoning to the end. 
• Once your potatoes are fork tender, LIFT them out of the water onto a baking sheet to cool just slightly before folding in with the dressing.  Straining them out into the sink leads to broken potatoes. 
• Use that pickle juice!  We add a good amount of pickle juice to our dressing.  It makes it deceivingly and oh-so delicious.  

Recipe: 

2.5 lbs. potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes 
2 tbsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (or more if water does not taste salty) 
3 tbsp. white vinegar 

6 large eggs 

4 green onions, finely sliced 
a good handful of finely chopped dill 
a small bunch of chives, finely chopped (optional) 
3 tbsp. capers, chopped if very large 
3 small dill pickles, chopped 
1 cup mayonnaise (we like Hellmann's or Duke's.  NOT 'salad dressing'). 
1/3 cup dill pickle juice 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed 

1. Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water.  Add salt and vinegar, bring up to the boil over high heat.  Let boil for one minute, then reduce heat to low.  Cook until fork tender: this will be a little deceiving at first, as the vinegar keeps the outside of the potato firm, and the potatoes will take a little longer than usual. 
2. In the meantime hard-boil the eggs: bring a second medium pot of water up to the boil.   Carefully add in eggs and continue to boil over medium-high heat for 9 minutes.  Drain and cool under cold running water for a few minutes.  Peel.  
3. Chop all ingredients and mix together with mayonnaise and pickle juice in a large bowl.  
4. Once potatoes are fork tender, carefully drain and let cool for 5 minutes on a baking sheet.  They should still be warm when you toss everything together. 
5. Fold potatoes into mayonnaise mixture.  Chop eggs into large pieces and add to the bowl, but season with salt and pepper first before folding in.  
6. Taste for seasoning and refrigerate 30 minutes before serving, or up to 2 days.   

 Make Bacon from Scratch and Fall-off-the-Bone Ribs!  

Need more Summer Salad ideas?   Try our Summer Salads Cooking Class! Perfect for helping you cook for a cottage weekend away or your next BBQ, complete with a detailed shopping list, cooking guide & video instruction to help you make a lot of food in little time!  

Mango-Cucumber Rice Noodle Salad 
Make this salad your own!   Omit or add as you like-- even try the vinaigrette on fresh, local honeydew melon garnished with toasted peanuts.  Amazing!  

1/4-cup peanuts
1 pkg. Thin rice noodles

Dressing:
2 tsp. chilli garlic paste (also known sambal oelik)
Juice of 2 large limes
1 tbsp. white sugar
2 tbsp. fish sauce

1 mango, peeled and julienned (ideally not too ripe) 

1 English cucumber seeds removed and cut on a bias
3-4 sprigs of mint leaves, finely sliced
3-4 sprigs of coriander (cilantro), including steps, finely chopped 

1. Toast peanuts either in a dry frying pan and toast for a few minutes until fragrant or in the oven on a baking sheet (375- 400) for 3-4 minutes. Let cool before chopping.
2. Soak rice noodles in hot water for 10 minutes (if necessary), then drop into boiling water until just cooked.   Check for directions on the package.   Drain and rinse with cold water for a couple  of minutes.  Set aside until ready to toss with remaining ingredients.  
3. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a large bowl (chilli paste, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce) until sugar is dissolved. 
4. Thinly slice mango & cucumber and finely chop herbs.   Stir in with the dressing along with the peanuts and rice noodles.  Enjoy!  

Buttermilk Chive Dressing
Makes about 2 cups

Always in our fridge, this quick, easy & versatile dressing is light & creamy dressing, but without any preservatives, thickeners, gums, or things you don't necessary need or want when dressing fresh, local produce.   

Be sure to source out high-fat, good quality buttermilk.   Harmony Organic brand is our go-to, but if you can't find a higher fat buttermilk, here's a couple of options:  replace 1/2 cup of the buttermilk with sour cream, OR increase the amount of mayonnaise to 4 tablespoons.   

Fresh garden chives were an easy grab for this, but dill, parsley or even a bit of spring onion would work well.   The key is fresh lemon juice and a really good amount of sea salt & freshly ground black pepper.   

This dressing is ideal on buttery lettuces or spinach, but add in some blue cheese or cheddar cheese and dress that broccoli-bacon salad, or a wedge salad with steak!   

1 clove of garlic, cut in half for easy blending
Juice of 1 lemon 
1 tsp. good quality sea salt
5-6 turns of freshly ground black pepper 
1 tsp. Dijon mustard 
2 tbsp. mayonnaise 
a good handful of snipped chives 
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk 

1. Place garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, Dijon, mayonnaise and chives in your blender.   Blend until smooth, 30-45 seconds.  Add just a little of the buttermilk if you need to accomplish this. 
2. Just stir in buttermilk (or blend for 2 seconds).  
3. Pour into a jar and enjoy! 
4. Will keep for a week or more in the refrigerator. 

Makes about 6 cups of salad.  Keeps 4-5 days in the fridge (not dressed), so perfect for lunch take-alongs!  Add cooked chicken for extra protein.