I believe that in order for us to maintain our great friendship, you must acknowledge that sometimes you desire to have potato salad as your lunch even on weekdays. You probably feel it’s unfair that potato salad is only considered acceptable for backyard barbecues, stored in Tupperware, and saved for long weekends, consumed with regret about wearing a swimsuit the following day. Can you at least admit this, so that I don’t feel like my preferences are too eccentric? You would do this for me, right?
And obviously, I have been having an intense desire for potato salad all week, and who wouldn’t? Summer is approaching quickly and the season for picnics is almost here. However, since I don’t want to feel uncomfortable when wearing my bathing suit, I decided to look for an alternative to the traditional mayo-laden potato salad. I opted for a salad featuring potatoes as a main ingredient instead. I allowed the available produce at the market to determine the rest of the salad’s components – this week in New York City calls for asparagus, sugar snap peas, radishes, and spring onions, which is precisely what I used in this salad. It would be just as delightful with cucumbers and green beans in another month.
However, it was inevitable that I would have to pickle something. I apologize if anyone is tired of pickled foods, but I have realized that I require at least one pickled ingredient in every salad I make nowadays. It has become an obsession, and it seems that it runs in the family from an early age. This time, I pickled the bulbs of the spring onions, and they emerged with an even more robust flavor. Their greens serve as a zesty garnish. Combined with a chunky Dijon vinaigrette, this salad is as far from a dull and soggy potato salad as you can get, and I think it would be welcome anywhere, not just at cookouts. Actually, I believe it is just begging to be taken home with you.
Is there anyone else out there who is so fixated on Game of Thrones that they are rushing through all five books to have it on their mind during the week when the show is not on?
From a year ago: Scrambled Egg Toast, Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys, and Shaved Asparagus Pizza.
New Potato and Pickled Spring Onion Salad
While editing the photos for this post, I had a realization that they bore a resemblance to something else. I may have unconsciously been influenced by Heidi Swanson’s Mostly-Not-Potato Salad from her impressive cookbook, Super Natural Everyday. It seems that great minds think alike! Heidi’s version is quite distinct as it incorporates tofu, celery, cucumber, green beans, chives, and dill. However, I appreciate that it offers a new take on the classic potato salad, prioritizing different ingredients. I can imagine enjoying both versions throughout the summer.
2 lbs of small new or fingerling potatoes (I used a blend of red and yukon golds).
1 lb of asparagus.
1/4 lb of sugar snap peas, green beans, or other spring peas.
4 thinly sliced small to medium radishes.
Ingredients:
– 3 spring onions (approximately 6 ounces)
– 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
– 1/4 cup water
– 1 tablespoon of kosher salt (I prefer Diamond brand; use less if using Morton or table salt)
– 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions:
1. Slice the spring onions into thin rounds and place them in a glass jar.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the white wine vinegar, water, kosher salt, and sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
3. Pour the vinegar mixture over the sliced spring onions, ensuring that they are fully submerged.
4. Allow the pickled spring onions to cool to room temperature before covering the jar and refrigerating them.
5. The spring onions will be ready to consume after 30 minutes of brining, and will last up to two weeks in the fridge. Enjoy!
Tangy Mustard Vinaigrette
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tbsp whole grain mustard (both Roland and Maille offer a whole seed mustard that I greatly enjoy)
2 tsp creamy Dijon mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper according to your taste.
Put the potatoes in a medium-sized pan and add enough water to cover them by an inch. Bring the water to a boil and cook for around 15 minutes, or until a knife can easily pierce through a potato. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool until they are nearly at room temperature. To speed up this process, you can cover them with cold water and replace the water a few times as it becomes warm.
In the meantime, prepare your spring onions by pickling them. Combine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a small container with a lid, and whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve. Thinly slice the bulbs and the lighter green parts into coins and immerse them in the vinegar mixture. Cover the container and refrigerate until you’re prepared to use them. For best results, store them in the refrigerator for an hour or even overnight. Set aside the onion greens.
Fill the saucepan that was used for boiling potatoes (let’s try to use fewer dishes!) with salted water and bring it to a boil. Prepare an ice bath by placing a large bowl with water and ice in it. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus. When the water boils, put the asparagus in it. After one minute, add the sugar snap peas. After two minutes, drain both and put them in the ice bath to cool. Drain the vegetables and lay them on a towel to absorb any excess water.
Cut the cooked asparagus and sugar snap peas into 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a big bowl. Dice the potatoes into moderate-sized chunks and add them to the bowl. Slice the radishes as thinly as you can, using a mandoline if you have one. If they are quite large, you can cut them into quarters lengthwise first. Cut a few of the saved onion greens into thin strips (you don’t have to use all of them, as the onion taste can be overpowering) and add them to the bowl.
When you’re prepared to serve the salad, or a couple of hours ahead of time, blend the dressing components and mix it with the vegetables according to your preference. (You might discover that you don’t need to use all of it.) Add as many pickled onion coins as desired, and save the remainder for later. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking. Simply savor and relish!
Preparation in advance: Pickles can be prepared a day or few days ahead. Boiling and chilling potatoes and other vegetables in the fridge overnight is also possible. Vinaigrette can be made beforehand too, but I would recommend waiting until the last minute to mix it with the vegetables. Over an extended period, the vinegar can cause slight discoloration of the cut edges of the asparagus and beans.
