I wrote the other day about how much I love The Walt Bodine Show, which broadcasts live on KPR everyday at 10 am. The topic of the show two weeks ago was “Fourth of July food.” What do folks cook on the Fourth? Are there restaurants open that serve Fourth of July-worthy food? So it’s a day to discuss summer food, holiday food, outdoor food, etc. Of course potato salad comes up; that’s a natural. But lo and behold, the show is taken over by potato salad – a passionate, serious, consuming discussion of Potato Salad. I thought, good heavens, I’m driving in my car listening to people talk (and talk and talk) – with fervor – about potato salad. Calls are burning up the lines from all over Kansas City – people just want to talk about potato salad; they have opinions, strong opinions, divergent opinions. Every attempt by the food critics and the shadow host to move on to, say, barbecue, or to sausages (I’m definitely going to try Werner’s in Mission for homemade sausages) or to fried chicken, is met by yet another caller who just had to weigh in on the homely, but apparently very personally meaningful … potato salad.
The questions and points of view are myriad. Could one buy really good potato salad anywhere in KC? What is the best kind of potato salad? White or yellow? This was a new one on me (“white” or “yellow”?). One caller thought putting in hard boiled eggs would make a travesty of this classic dish. Others thought hard boiled eggs were de rigueur. One enlightens me with her recipe for white potato salad – mayonnaise and sour cream in equal parts. No eggs. Another caller insists that the potatoes must, must be seasoned before you add the mayonnaise. Some use mustard, some do not. The one thing most agree on – callers and critics alike – is that bacon is really good in potato salad, though not, technically speaking, a classic ingredient.
Actually, the whole discussion, this discussion of potato salad, was utterly fascinating.
And it’s a seasonal discussion. The potatoes at our Osage County farm garden are ready for harvest. So I brought my husband, Hank, up to speed on the latest Walt Bodine show wisdom on potato salad, and naturally he and I continued the debate that had so riveted Walt’s listeners; what IS the best potato salad recipe? As is often the case, my husband and I disagree (in a friendly way, of course; but I am always right) about what is the “classic recipe” for certain dishes. For instance, he feels one should put oil in the pasta water so the pasta does not boil over. I do not favor this method. He puts oil on the pasta after he drains it. I like to rinse it if I am not using it immediately. More substantively, I like to braise pork chops (brown and then cook at a low temp in their juices) for 2 hours. He likes to grill them – I find them tough this way. Clearly there is no accounting for taste (a small internal voice that I am lovingly suppressing is saying, “no accounting for his taste”).
So, we will each take some of our potato harvest (Yukon Golds and Kennebec reds) and make two different potato salad recipes. Our new potatoes are gorgeous, firm and lovely, with golden or translucent white flesh and delicate red and yellow skins. And we have new onions, fresh basil, dill, parsley and fennel – all in the garden. It’s a good time to cook anything. I am going to try a new recipe – French potato salad (I usually go for a very tart, vinegar-y warm German potato salad), and Hank will make his classic (based on his mother’s) potato salad with hard boiled eggs, Italian dressing and mayo.
The recipe I am going to try is at recipezaar.com. I gather it is adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, and that, in my mind, is very promising indeed. I love her cooking sensibility.
French Potato Salad
20 min | 10 min prep
Serves 4 -6
2 pounds small new potatoes
2 tablespoons good dry white wine
2 tablespoons chicken stock
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
10 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced green onion (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons chiffonade fresh basil leaves
Cut potatoes in half, quarters if they are larger. Place in pan of boiling water for 25-30 minutes until cooked but still very firm. Drain in colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. Place in medium bowl and toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.
Combine the mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion.
Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the green onions, dill, parsley and basil.
Serve warm or at room temperature.