Best Potato Salad Ever!

This yummy will please your tummy

Just finished making another batch of my famous Warm Red Potato salad.  Not to brag folks (actually I am), I have to admit I make the BEST potato salad.  I make several different versions of potato salad but this is my absolute FAV.

Ironically, growing up I hated potato salad.  Why? Seems I didn't like the versions that were available to me whilst I was in my knee high to a whipper snapper stage.  My Mom's potato salad, perhaps the worst (for me anyway) was full of onions, green peppers and way too much celery.  The few other potato salads I sampled were at family reunions and they were just about as bad.  God awful, to me anyway.

So here is my recipe.  If you try it, keep in mind that this is a very personal recipe, developed over years of experimentation, misfires, and disasters.

Red Potato Salad

Three large red potatoes 
One diced celery stalk
1/4 cup freshly minced flat leaf parsley
salt to taste
1 cup mayonaisse
2 hardboiled eggs, diced and minced
1 tablespoon French's yellow mustard 
1 tablespoon celery seed
1/3 cup cider vinegar

Cook the potatoes (leaving the skin on) until tender (about 15 minutes)

Drain

On a wood cutting board, halve, quarter and eighths the still hot potatoes

Place in aluminum bowl.  

Splash the cider vinegar over all and mix with metal spoon

Mixed in the chopped celery

Sprinkle the salt, celery seed over "vinegared" potatoes

Put a whole gob of mayo over all with about three "squirts" of French's yellow mustard and mix all

Mix in minced parsley and chopped eggs. 

Note:  measurements are estimates.  I usually go overboard with the measurements except for the salt and celery.  Too much celery and you have a "celery salad."  And definitely use French's yellow mustard but be care not to put too much or else you'll have a "Mustard Potato Salad."  You want just a hint of mustard that brings back memories of your childhood family picnic's potato salad.  You can put onions in but I prefer not to, although I like onions.  And definitely DO NOT PUT GREEN PEPPERS IN POTATO SALAD.  That's about as bad as putting shrimp in it.  Gawd awful.  

Enjoy!

Potato Salad Recipe

The Beginning of a great potato salad recipe - red potatoes and hard boiled eggs

If it's summertime it's potato salad time!

I never used to like potato salad.  That's because the only potato salad I had growing up was my Mother's potato salad.  It was God awful.  Hey, I loved my Mother and she took good care of me and my two younger brothers but I didn't like most of her cooking.  My father and brothers liked it good enough.  They always cleaned up their plates and it showed.  Both my brothers hover around three hundred pounds today.  I weigh half that.

It wasn't until I joined the Army (at 18 years of age) and had meals away from home that I realized that food could taste good.  I realized there were culinary possibilities.  Then when I got out of the Army and met Bill and set up house, I began experimenting with cooking myself.

Over the years I have developed recipes that I love.  Now granted, I understand some others may not love them as much as I do (which I have also found out over the years witnessing many screwed up faces of guests when they ate some of my concoctions) but be that as it may.  I cook for myself and Bill.

Here is one of my several recipes for potato salad that gets me through the dog days of summer.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

OLD-FASHION POTATO SALAD

• 4 cups cubed red potatoes (with skins on)
• 3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonaise 
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender; drain. 
• Chop the potatoes and place in a large bowl.  Sprinkle white wine vinegar over the still warm potatoes.  Sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper.
• Add eggs, chives, dill and celery.  Mix.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over the potato mixture and toss to coat. 
• Place in a container and put in refrigerator overnight to chill.

Fresh chives from my garden

Chop those chives

Fresh dill from my garden

Cut the cooked red potatoes with skins on

Cut those potatoes while they're hot

Sprinkle still warm potatoes with white wine vinegar

Mix all together

Finely chop one stalk celery

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard with veggies

Put in container and place in refrigerator overnight to properly chill

The next day take out that potato salad and enjoy!  This is the best accompaniment for grilled chicken or hamburger.  Although it is not low calorie, I only eat a table spoon or two at a meal.  That is enough to satisfy my appetite for summer food.  Delicious!

Ooops!  I forgot a small detail.  While this potato salad is good making it does generate a LOT OF DIRTY utensils, pans and dishes.  It is well worth the trouble though.