Category: Potato Salad

Use By: Pesto Potato Salad

What did people eat before the pesto boom of the ’80’s? I love pesto and eat it by the bucketful but I always seem to end up with a bit left in the jar that is not enough for a batch of pasta.  Well, this Pesto Potato Salad is one of my favourite ways of using up that annoying last bit. It’s also good for using up some of those veggies you have sitting in the bottom of your fridge.

I used radishes, edamame and red onion in mine.  You could use beans, peas, tomatoes, zucchini whatever you have in the house or your favourite veggies.

The idea behind this is that you use what is left in the jar to make the dressing.  Add some oil and lemon juice into your jar of pesto, close it up tight and give it a good shake.

Taste – add salt, pepper, some chilli flakes, maybe a little more garlic if you like.  I added some extra parmesan cheese to really ramp up some of those pesto flavours.

Shake again and pour over freshly boiled potatoes while they are still warm.  This will allow the flavour to really infuse into the potatoes as they cool.  Cos no one likes a bland potato salad!

You can make it up to this point in the morning or even the day before you are planning to have the salad.  Just pop the potatoes and dressing into the fridge until you are almost ready to serve.

At that time, remove from the fridge, stir through the rest of your veggies, throw in some toasted pine nuts and, some finely chopped basil leaves (I didn’t have basil and felt it would be against the spirit of a Use By Post to buy some just for the Pesto Potato Salad so mine is garnished with chives).

This salad is great with BBQ’s, seafood, chicken, anywhere you would have regular potato salad but maybe want to shake things up a bit.  I could eat potato salad every day of the week so something a bit different from the classic mayo-based salad (but for a great one of them, see here) makes a refreshing change.

Pesto Potato Salad2

Here’s the recipe.

 

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Pesto Potato Salad

A delicious and versatile potato salad

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 medium potatoes, diced
  • 1/2 cup edamame
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 4 radishes, sliced
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
  • Basil leaves, chives to garnish
  • Dressing!
  • 1 jar of bought pesto with around 1 tbsp of pesto left in the bottom
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 clove of finely chopped garlic (optional)
  • A sprinkle of chilli flakes (optional)
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions

  1. Dressing!
  2. Place all the ingredients in the jar of pesto, seal and shake well until mixed.
  3. Boil the potatoes until just tender
  4. Pour the dressing over the top.
  5. Just before serving mix through the remaining vegetables and pine nuts.
  6. Top with the herbs.
  7. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Feel free to add whatever cooked or raw vegetables you have into this salad!

 

Pesto,  may well be  the quiche of the ’80’s but it also makes a damn fine potato salad!

I also wrote "Pesto is the quiche of the '80s."

Have a great week!

 

 

Rosanne Cash’s Potato Salad – Repost from October 2018

Regular readers will know what a fan I am of the serendipitous find.  So, imagine my joy when, in the middle of writing the post on Johnny Cash’s Chili, sorting through a huge pile of recipes I had collected over the last year or so, I found a recipe from his daughter Rosanne Cash for Potato Salad.

I felt that finding it was either a sign from the universe to make some potato salad or that the Cash family were stalking me in a really weird way.

I decided to make potato salad.

Rosanne Cash Potato Salad

Have I ever told you how much I love potato salad?

Like LOVE it.  😍

I have CRIED when I have tasted a potato salad that looked gorgeous only to find the potato was half raw.  Or the dressing was watery

That’s how much I love potato salad.

And I have incredibly high standards.  So far in my life, the only ‘tatie salad that even comes close to my mum’s is my best friend Monica’s.  It’s one of the reasons I adore her.

Maybe THAT’s how much I love potato salad…

Good potato salad?  Friend.  For. Life.

Bad potato salad? Never darken my door again!

Rosanne Cash Potato Salad

And Rosanne Cash’s had all the hallmarks of being a GOOD potato salad.  Or the one.  Which is the inclusion . of hard-boiled eggs. Seriously.  Mum’s potato salad has them.  Monica’s potato salad has them.  And this one has them.  And, spoiler alert. We are now talking my top-three potato salads.

Because Rosanne Cash’s potato salad is AWESOME.

https://i0.wp.com/www.retrofoodformoderntimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rosanne-Cash-Potato-Salad-7.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1

The only problem with the Rosanne Cash Potato Salad?

There was not enough of it!

Basic user error.  Before making anything check your ingredients.  ALWAYS check your ingredients.  All of them.  Even the ones where you think “Oh I always have plenty of that / those / them”

Especially those ones. Otherwise, you will go to the shops to buy celery and pickles.  And come home to discover you only have three tiny potatoes.  But it’s getting late and if you want to be eating this delicious sounding potato salad any time before midnight then you don’t have time to go all the way back to the store to buy more potatoes.

So…a tiny potato salad it was…

Tiny Potato

You can also do the thing….cos here’s the recipe.  Just make sure you have potatoes a plenty!

Rosanne Cash’s Potato Salad

And here is he of the chilli and she of the potato salad way back in 1956!

johnny_rosanne_cash01-280x336

Have a great week!

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Brazo Di Gitano – The Gypsy’s Arm

Cross my palm with silver and I will tell you tales of magic and wonder.  Or just keep reading ‘cos I cooked something really good!

GypsyI see, in your future a little taste of Spain….because today in a final piece of birthday indulgence, I bring to you The Gypsy’s Arm…aka The Brazo Di Gitano.

And what you may ask is the Brazo Di Gitano?  Well remember back at Christmas when my family took against me for bringing a Potato Salad Roll  to our Christmas festivities?  I felt then that despite their negativity it was my duty to bring the PSR to the world.  This did not start well.  My St Patrick’s Day Corned Beef PSR was an mitigated disaster.  But redemption is at hand with The Gypsy’s Arm. 

I LOVE this recipe.  And yes, I am yelling at you because it’s that good. It’s like someone took every lovely taste of Spain and mixed it together and then wrapped it up in potato.  And mayo.

Gypsy's Arm
Gypsy’s Arm

 Why a Gypsy’s Arm?  I have no idea.  But when something tastes this good why question it?  I found the original version of this recipe in Anya Von Bremzen’s The New Spanish Table which I thought was an amazing book even before I discovered it had a potato salad roll.

New Spanish TableSo what’s so good about this recipe?  Well, potatoes and mayo…

 But also tuna, tomatoes, olives, capers, red onions and anchovies.  And to make things even better, I added some avocado to mine, hence the greenish tinge. 

Gypsy's Arm2The flavours of this dish took me right back to a trip to Barcelona a few years ago.  It really is Spain on a plate.  And so easy.

Make your mashed potato and spread out on a tray.

 Gypsy's Arm3I left mine a bit chunky so it was still a bit like a regular potato salad.  Then put your tuna filling on  top.  Spread to the edges.

Gypsy's Arm4Then, shake, rattle and roll!!!

Gypsy's Arm5Don’t worry if it cracks a little, or a lot, you can just press it together.  Plus you will shortly be adding your mayo (and avocado topping) so small cracks won’t matter.

Then, channel your inner Gaudi and decorate the outside of roll as you see fit. 

Gypsy's Arm7
Gypsy’s Arm7

 Trim the edges so you have a nice clean line before serving. 

Gypsy's Arm6Eat and transport yourself back to the streets of Barcelona…

Enjoy!

Barcelona Barcelona4 Barcelona Gaudi Barcelona1 Barcelona - Casa Batllo 4 Barcelona - Casa Batllo Barcelona3 Barcelona2Have a great week!  And there are only 2 days to go for the Birthday giveaway.  Subscribe or get one of your friends to subscribe to win a fabulous vintage cookbook.  Prize drawn on Monday!

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When Irish Eyes Aren’t Smiling

I wanted to make something really amazing for St Patrick’s Day and when I say something really amazing what I mean is an Irish Potato Salad Roll. And you all thought I was joking when I said I was going to make the PSR into a thing!!!

So, I found this recipe for an Irish Potato Salad – this baby has potatoes, cabbage and corned beef.  Faith and Begorrah, could you get more stereotypically Irish?

I was so excited I played some Mumford and Sons and did a little impromptu Riverdance around the dining room.

Irish Potato Salad Roll here I come!!!!

Irish Potato Salad Roll
Irish Potato Salad Roll

 The Luck of The Irish Part 1

The first problem arrived when I could not find celery seed in either of my two local supermarkets.  Minor Detail.  I have celery salt.  And celery.  How much flavour is the seed going to add anyway?

 The Luck of The Irish Part 2

I”m just going to come out and say it.  Corned beef is disgusting.  Maybe I bought the wrong sort of stuff but it said Corned Beef on the tin:

Corned Beef 1The recipe said to cube it, so I assumed it was going to be kind of like Spam i.e. able to be cubed. What I did not expect was this disgusting gelatinous fatty mush which almost made me gag.  There were also big chunks of fat left in the bottom of the can.

DSC02545And it smelt really bad.

My original plan was to cook the corned beef, onion and cabbage together, then make a kind of chunky mash with the potatoes, mayo and pickle and swiss roll them together and serve it cold.

Having seen the corned beef cold put me right off though so that plan went out the window. Mine was going to be a warm salad.

The Luck of The Irish Part 3

So, I started cooking my corned beef and onion and….oh, god, this bit did actually make me gag.  There was something weird in the meat.  Initially I thought it was one of those lumps of fat.  Except it didn’t melt.

It looked like a piece of skin.  This picture does not even convey the disgustingness of this lump of….whatever the fuck it was…

So, whilst I was dry heaving, the corned beef started to stick to the pan.  So I thought it might be a good idea to throw a glass of wine in there to deglaze the plan. Because wine makes anything better right?

Wrong.  This is how doomed this dish was,  Adding the wine just made a very fatty, milky, winey, even more stinky liquid rise to the top.  This was so incredibly gross it’s kind of making me throw up a little in my mouth just thinking about it.

The Luck of The Irish Part 4

In the end I plated it up by making some chips with the potatoes and making a stack.  Potato, corned beef, potato, mayo and chives, potato, corned beef, mayo and pickles.

Irish Potato Salad Roll2
Irish Potato Salad Roll2

 The Luck of The Irish Part 5

If this was a Hollywood version or even a reality tv show, right about now, I’d saying something along the lines of “You know, when I plated this up, despite all the set backs, despite all the trials and tribulations, this tasted fantastic….best thing I’ve ever eaten”.

Irish Potato Salad Roll 4
Irish Potato Salad Roll 4

It was nothing like that.

It definitely wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever eaten.  Then again, I ate bugs in Cambodia.  It was the definitely worst thing I’ve eaten this year.  And this is the gift that keeps on giving, not only did it leave a layer of grease in my mouth that survived at least two tooth brushings  but even though I had the extractor fan on for the longest time, the day after I made this, there was still a fug of corned beef and cabbage through my entire house.

Hmm…maybe this really did need the celery seed.

Epic fail.

Sorry people of Ireland. I tried.

And my head told my heart
“Let love grow”
But my heart told my head
“This time no, This time no

But never fear…just like a benevolent Colin Fassnidge on My Kitchen Rules, I’m giving myself a redemption round.

And this time, it’s something not even I can fuck up.   Roll out the barrel of Jameson’s…next up…we’re having an Irish inspired cocktail.  Please let it be fabulous…or you know…just better than this.  Otherwise, I might have to strategically vote myself out….

How do you plan to celebrate St Patrick’s Day? If at all?

What’s the worst thing you’ve eaten this year? Ever?

What are your thoughts on strategic voting – MKR or anywhere

Have a great week!

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The Potato Salad Roll That Rocks!!!

 I think this recipe is awesome!

Sadly, I am currently alone in this. 

But I have a dream.  And that dream is to bring the potato salad roll to the world. 

Hmm,so  I guess I can cross that one off the list and bask in the smugness of a goal for 2015 achieved. And it’s only January 2nd!!!! 

But before we get to the Potato Salad Roll…

Happy-New-Year-Banner-2

I’m sure better bloggers than me really think about the  messages they want to send when they post their first post of the year…you know, those super organised people who have a theme and a word for the year?  And the first post reflects that dream and vision? 

I wish I was one of those people.  I really do.  Because I pretty much know everything I’m going to write about this  month and believe me…if we were going to run a theme around January, it would have to be supercalifragilisticexpialidociouslly insane. 

Although…maybe getting the crazy out at the start of the year is a good thing.  Maybe by the end of the year I’ll be ever so high-brow and Julie and Julia-ing the Larousse Gastronomique…

Yeah, I doubt that too.  But you never know…I do own a copy….

 Bookshelf2And the highly observant of you will notice that it is also still in it’s plastic wrap….

So…the potato salad roll.  Hands up how many of you thought this would be potato salad in a bread roll? 

Yep, that would be about all of you. Because that would make sense.  But remember when I said this month was going to be all about the crazy stupid?  I don’t even know where to start with this but they say a picture paints a thousand words so, world, here is the potato salad roll…

Potato Salad Roll
Potato Salad Roll

 Yeh, it’s kind of a Swiss Roll of Potato Salad.  Except without the jam.  Not even I’m that weird. 

Potato Salad Roll
Potato Salad Roll

 Basically, it just a potato salad rolled into a log with the dressing on the outside.

Which in no way explains the absolute spontaneous hatred my family felt for it when I brought it for Christmas.  The comments ranged from “What the fuck is that? ” to “Who laid the big white poo in the middle of the table?”

I tried to explain that it was potato salad. Comments ranged from

“Not in my world”

To:

“No. It’s not.  Potato salad looks and is, delicious.  That looks like a big white poo”.

And then there was:

“Why can’t you make normal potato salad? Are you on drugs?  I saw a documentary on people taking ice…do you have a problem with methamphetamines?”

I saw the exact same documentary. 

There was a  man injecting himself in his penis because “it was the only good vein he had left”.  ‘

I made a slightly off beat potato salad.

I’m struggling to find the connection. 

I was the only person who ate the potato salad roll on Christmas day which was a real shame because despite it’s rather unconventional appearance it was a damn good and tasty potato salad. 

Potato Salad Roll 3
Potato Salad Roll 3

On Boxing Day, I made a roll within a roll by wrapping part of the original roll in prosciutto and the same people who has scoffed at the original roll could not wolf it down fast enough. 

Go figure….

Potato Salad Proscuitto Rolls
Potato Salad Prosciutto Rolls

 It was kind of nice to end the year with a badly written retro recipe.  It’s been a long time between drinks for one of them. 

Potato Salad Roll Recipe
Potato Salad Roll Recipe

 

First line.  Prepare the gherkins, parsley, pimento, eggs and onion…

Onion? What onion?  Would that be one of those special invisible onions that don’t appear in the ingredient list?  And what I am I supposed to do with my half a cup of diced celery?  Use it to pelt my ungrateful family to death?

Despite the shortcomings of the recipe, I am utterly obsessed with the idea of the potato salad roll.  I already have two more versions in my head which I will make and post some time in the future.   Maybe I will make 2015 the year of the Potato Salad Roll….huh…maybe I am, albeit unwittingly,  one of those people who have a theme.  And a vision. 

I mean, yeah, I totally am.  This was all planned.  Months in advance….

I will be spending my week preparing my potato salad roll vision board. 

Have a fabulous one whatever you do!!! 

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