Vegetables/Sides | A Hint of Honey

Ever since I met Dustin, I’ve been hearing about this potato salad. How it is the best. How no store brand or any other recipe could ever compare. How his mom is the only woman in the world who knows how to make potato salad right. Well, it took five years, but I finally got to try it for myself. (It was Dustin’s one food request over our Christmas trip.) And you know what? The boy doesn’t lie!

I’ve never been that impressed with any potato salad- until now. This one is different, it’s delightful, it’s down right delicious! Dustin’s mom never follows a recipe. She was taught how to make perfect potato salad by her mother, and only does it by taste. But she taught me her tricks and I think I’ve come very close to replicating the dish. Keep in mind that these amounts are all estimates- they can and should be adjusted to taste. But there are a few essential steps: You must use small baking potatoes and boil them until just tender, use crunchy kosher dills and their briny juice to flavor the dressing, and keep your onions out of sight. Not that I would mind the addition of onions, but that’s not how the Davis family does it, so I wouldn’t dare deviate.

I realize that I might never make this potato salad as perfect as Nan can. That’s OK. I got close (very close in fact) and that’s good enough for us! Now Dustin and I can have our fill whenever the craving hits, without traveling 2000 miles to get it.

Nan’s Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS

8 small Russet potatoes (not large ones, they need to be small to boil whole)
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups crunchy kosher dill pickles, diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3-1/2 cup dill pickle juice (I’m leaning towards 1/2 cup next time)
1 Tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. mustard (not Dijon)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and boil 20-25 minutes until potatoes are tender-firm (a knife will slide in but the center will still be firm). Remove from the water and set aside to cool. Once cooled, peel off the skins and chop into bite-size pieces.

2. To hard boil the eggs, place the eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then immediately remove the eggs from the heat, cover, and let sit 15 minutes (time will depend on altitude and how cook you prefer your eggs). After 15 minutes, run the eggs under cold water to cool them. Peel off the shells and dice. RESERVE 1 whole egg for slicing on top.

3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, pickle juice, ketchup, mustard, garlic powder, and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust amounts of mayonnaise and pickle juice to reach the desired consistency- slightly thick but runny enough to coat the potatoes. Adjust any seasonings to taste.

4. In a large bowl combine the potatoes, pickles, and eggs. Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (While the salad can be eaten immediately, refrigerating it allows the flavors time to develop.) Before serving, sprinkle with paprika (to taste) and garnish with the remaining egg, thinly sliced.

Serves 4-6.

(Recipe courtesy of Nannette Davis)

This is my new favorite way to eat a sweet potato! No sugar, no streusel, no marshmallow fluff- nothing sweet about it. A savory, wholesome recipe. Sour cream, Canadian bacon (much healthier and awesome in this recipe, but you can use real bacon if you must), Cheddar cheese, and chives get smashed with sweet potato innards and stuffed back into the skin. Then you sprinkle a few more shreds of cheese on top and place them in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and the outside is crisp.

I suppose you could use this same recipe with a regular baking potato. But how boring. Plain Jane potatoes have so much less color, less flavor, less nutrition (it’s true!), and less fun. It’s the combo of the mildly sweet potato center and the salty savory additions that makes this dish so delish!

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean and dried
4 slices Canadian bacon, cut into tiny cubes (or real bacon, cooked and crumbled) (optional)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

NOTE: All these ingredient amounts are approximate. Use more or less of any ingredient to taste.

DIRECTIONS

1. Poke several holes in each sweet potato with a knife or fork. Wrap each sweet potato in a paper towel and place in the microwave. Cook on high until the potatoes are soft in the middle. (Some microwaves have a potato setting.) For a medium sized potato it will take about 10 minutes. You can cook them in the oven but it takes much longer.

2. Preheat oven to 400 F.

3. Remove the potatoes from the microwave. Once they are cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out the centers into a small bowl. Combine the sweet potato flesh with the sour cream, Canadian bacon, Cheddar cheese, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mash together with a fork or spoon. Stuff the potatoes with the mixture. Sprinkle with a little more shredded cheese.

4. Place stuffed potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the skin has started to crisp. Remove from the oven, top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with more chives (both optional). Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

(Adapted from Health)