Monday, July 27, 2009

My Favorite 'Tater Salad

Would salad week be complete without adding an American classic like Potato salad? I personally can't remember a picnic without a big bowl of the stuff...nor do I want to imagine life without potato salad. Now, I am absolutely certain that there are several thousand recipes for perfect potato salad, but this one is one of my personal favorites. I adapted it from the original 1950's Betty Crocker cookbook...so it has to be good right folks? Good enough for Granny is good enough for me. True to my word, I will not be cooking on the stove, but rather, cooking this batch in the Solar Oven . It's just to stinking hot here to cook a lot indoors.

My Potato Salad
3 cups cubed cold boiled potatoes (about 5 medium potatoes)
2 tsp all purpose seasoning salt ( I use my seasoning, but you can use the brand of your choice)
1/4 cup prepared homemade French Dressing
1/4 cup fine sliced green onion
3/4 cup low fat mayonnaise
6 cloves garlic, roasted or boiled, and then mashed
1/2 cup chopped Refrigerator Pickles
4 hard cooked eggs (I use the whites and omit the yolks...just better for the heart)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cooking the potatoes in the Solar oven was actually easy. Just peel and cut the potatoes.
I covered the potatoes with water and then added the uncooked eggs. It took just over 45 minutes in the heat of the day to cook the potatoes and eggs perfectly in the solar oven. I also had the 6 cloves of fresh garlic in the water. They got perfectly soft and "mashy"...plus added some amazing flavor to the potatoes. On the stove top it would take about 25 minutes on medium heat.
Remove the eggs, and drain the extra liquid off the potatoes. Take out the garlic and mash it. Season well with all purpose seasoning and then add the French Dressing.

Add the chopped Refrigerator Pickles, low fat mayonnaise, roasted garlic, peeled chopped eggs, salt and pepper to taste.

Chill several hours covered in the fridge. Garnish with some ground paprika just before serving.
Remember it's important to keep potato salad cool. Food borne illness really loves potato salad too, so don't be a victim. Keep those salads cold. Most of all...enjoy!
There you go!

5 comments:

Heffalump said...

My favorite potato salad is my Grandmother's recipe. It is a hot, German potato salad and we pretty much only have it once a year for Christmas Eve. It has potatoes, hard boiled eggs, bacon, dijon mustard and etc. It involves cooking the potatoes in the bacon grease and I'm sure it is NOT good for you, but it sure tastes great!

Shellee said...

Oooo, we made the refrigerator pickles and they were inhaled. I'm going to have to try them in this recipe. We decided that we love them in tuna sandwiches.
Curt told me that for his birthday he wants a case of pickles and a trip to Penzey's, could I have asked for a better husband?!??

Jana said...

Tater salad without turning on my oven? Sign me up!

Olivia said...

I made this tonight. Tess, you are a freakin genius! This is truly the best potato salad I've ever tasted. I can't even imagine what it will taste like tomorrow after it's chilled for a few hours.

And the French dressing is amazing. Americans eating Kraft French dressing do not know what French dressing is. Your version is marvelous.

I'd also like to add that I cooked my potatoes, eggs and garlic in my solar oven too. Too much funny and too easy.

You are a genius, my friend!

Chef Tess said...

Thank you Olivia!