I normally only post a potato salad recipe once a year on Memorial Day weekend, but this year you are getting an extra one. A few weeks ago Phil and I drove out to a winery in Yountville to bring dinner to my editor Alan, staff photographer Ian and his assistant Chris (who is also a photographer) who were in need of a good meal. I am currently (once again) on the injured list and so I haven’t been doing a whole lot kitchen-wise lately, so this completely gorgeous salad was the perfect thing to cook while elevating my leg* on a barstool.
This recipe was really just a happy accident. I had planned to visit my fellow Mutineers, but due to my injury had no plans to bring a meal. But then I started thinking about what they would be eating and the fact that they had been on the road for so long at this point, fueled by fast food and Red Bull. My obsessive nature took over and I felt compelled to serve them a home cooked meal, no matter how simple. So, as I can’t drive myself to the market right now I took look around the kitchen to see what ingredients I had on hand.
I found green beans and basil in the crisper, a jar of roasted peppers in the pantry, a pile of potatoes and meyer lemons and a bottle blood orange olive oil. Now, normally I don’t like to use a specialized ingredient like blood orange olive oil, but you can easily create a substitute by infusing olive oil for a few days with your favorite citrus zest.
I love this salad, because it tastes like summer. This is the time of year when I am worn out on winter vegetables and I need a hit of fresh summer flavor. The fragrant citrus and herbal aromas of this salad are the reason I cook.
Citrus Potato Salad
1/4 cup Blood Orange Olive Oil
Juice of 1- 1 1/2 Meyer Lemons (or your favorite small citrus)
1 1/2-2 TBS Dijon Mustard
2 TBS Fresh Thyme Leaves
1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced or grated
Sea Salt, to taste
Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
6 Medium Potatoes (use your favorite), baked, cooled and diced
2-3 Roasted Red Peppers (I used preserved peppers), sliced into strips
3 cups (or so) Green Beans, trimmed, blanched and chopped in 1 to 2 inch pieces
In a large bowl, combine the oil, juice, Dijon, thyme, basil, garlic, salt and pepper, whisking to combine. Add in the potatoes, roasted peppers and green beans, tossing to coat before serving.
Note: Many potato salad recipes call for you to boil your potatoes, I do not recommend this. I think you get a much more pure potato flavor and a more pleasant mouthfeel to the salad if you roast your potatoes instead.
*I am fine. I have an owee (owee is a technical term) on my knee. I’ll be in a brace for a while, but will survive.
Oh no! You have my complete sympathy. How frustrating to be off your feet just when all the spring produce is coming in!!!!
Will have to try roasting the potatoes next time I do a potato salad. I normally cook them in very little water (basically steam them) as I don’t like them boiled for a salad.
Thanks Debbie, I have a lot of work to keep me busy which is good because I find myself easily bored these days.
I love the intensity it adds to the flavor. It takes the potato from extra to star.
I got some delectable looking anya potatoes at the store today, but not a blood orange nor a meyer lemon in sight. I guess I’ll just have to make a trip to Petaluma… someday.
Leslie, You could use regular oranges and lemons, just add some zest for a more floral flavor.
Petaluma awaits your visit.
Okay, you got me hooked. I must have a bottle. I totally dig lemon oils- have avocado and olive based lemon ones, but blood orange??? Eeks-a-mighty! Want it!!
Owee? Is that the polite version of what you said when you had your not so happy accident?
I will admit that my potato salads usually start with slightly warm boiled potatoes – new potatoes for choice. Cold roast potatoes don’t usually last that long!
Do get better quickly o frabjous one, a knackered knee is not pleasant.
Jen, it is easy to get hooked on!
Griffin, It was between owee and boo boo, I think I made the more dignified choice. I’ve got a great doctor, who is taking fabulous care of me.
The wonderful things one can do with a well stocked kitchen! This really looks fantastic and not anything like the stodgy potato salads I am used to seeing.
Also, I think there is absolutely no reason to apologize for using infused olive oils — similar to high quality vinegars, they can add a wonderful, complex dimension to a dish (and you’d never apologize for using champagne vinegar
Jen, I completely agree! Some of my best dishes have been made on the fly in sort of an Iron Chef style!
Thanks, I just like to be sure to give people an alternative just in case. You’re right, I never would apologize for that!
Jen, I would apologise for using Champagne vinegar – fancy leaving champagne to turn to vinegar without drinking it first!!
Erin, I do hope you are soon up and about wrestling alligators and tickling polar bears as usual!
Just take care of your hands… unless you can type with your toes of course!
I’m sure your fellow Mutineers felt quite glad to have you as a friend when you arrived with this fresh and lovely potato salad. Way to strategize with limited resources!
Thanks Denise!
I think the dijon mustard is SO key to this recipe.. One time I didn’t have any and went without and I couldn’t even STAND the final product. I don’t like it by itself, but it really makes a different here folks, so don’t leave it out! From experience..
-Sylvia
Sylvia, I completely agree. It is the same as a vinaigrette without Dijon or egg yolk, instead of being rich and robust the flavors are spotty and unrefined. Welcome to The Endive Chronicles!