Potato Salad with Chevre and Zucchini

If you seem to be having a feeling of deja vu upon visiting my site lately, not to worry, you’re not alone. You see this time last year I was eagerly awaiting a platoon of movers to descend on my home and in a tornado of wooden spoons, finials and woven baskets to help me move to a new home. This time last year, I was also writing a recipe for potato salad to share with you and by complete happenstance I have found myself, this very week, writing another one for you. I debated on whether or not I should share it with you because of that. But, as this weekend it is the unofficial kickoff to summer here in the United States, I have decided to go with it. Maybe I’ll even make it a Memorial Day weekend tradition.

I love potato salad, always have, but I’m tired of the traditional kind. The salad I shared with you last year was packed with herbs, lemon and smoked salmon, but still had a base of mayonnaise. This year I have decided to shake things up a bit. I used a dressing of chevre that I drenched over a canvas of roasted potatoes, fresh zucchini with a few added flavor sensations in the form of Niman Ranch apple wood smoked ham and roasted piquillo peppers. As with most of my recipes this is not the same old potato salad you grew up with. I hope you enjoy this latest incarnation of potato salad.

Potato Salad with Chevre and Zucchini

6 ounces Chevre, at room temp

1/4 cup Natural Yogurt

1 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Small Shallots, sliced thin and caramelized

1-2 TBS Flat Leaf Parsley

Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste (I like a good healthy dose)

Sea Salt (optional, between the ham and chevre you may find you don’t need any)

6 medium sized Red Potatoes or Yukon Gold, roasted, cooled and sliced

2 small Zucchini, sliced

1 1/2 cups good quality Smoked Ham, diced

2 Roasted Piquillo Peppers, sliced into thin strips

A huge handful of Micro Greens or sprouts (I used an assortment)

In a large bowl combine: chevre, yogurt, vinegar, caramelized shallots, parsley, pepper and salt and mix well. Add in the prepared zucchini, ham, piquillo and mix to coat. Add in the potatoes and micro green, folding gently so as not to destroy the potatoes in the process. Check for seasoning and chill for an hour or so before serving.

Leftover notes: I had some left over ingredients after making this salad and used the to make a lovely lunch for Phil and myself. In a small bowl I tossed some diced, ham chevre and a bit of pepper together and used it to stuff the remaining piquillo peppers and served them on a bed of lightly dressed micro greens. It was a lovely, fresh tasting lunch and made the most of my excess ingredients.

** Wish us luck this week, the movers will be here on Friday and we shove off on Sunday the 31st! Petaluma here we come!**