Potato Salad

Directions

Start with about 1pound of potatoes (it's important to use evenly sized new potatoes, and you can either scrape them or peel them). Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water. Try to cook these perfectly so that they just fall off the blade of a knife when you stick it into the potato (you don't want the potatoes raw but you certainly don't want them falling apart either). As soon as the potatoes are cooked, drain them and put them into a bowl. It is very important to add your dressing at this stage, while the potatoes are still steaming hot (by allowing them to cool down in the dressing the flavors penetrate the potatoes). Here are 3 dressings that I like to use:

Potato salad with salsa verde: All you do is dress the potatoes with 2 large tablespoonfuls of salsa verde.

Potato Salad with olive oil, lemon and dill: Use olive oil and lemon juice dressing and add some roughly chopped fresh dill and a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Instead of dill you could try fresh mint, fresh parsley or fennel tops -- they'll all work).

Potato salad with dandelion and shallot: Again, use olive oil and lemon juice dressing, add some thoroughly washed and roughly chopped dandelion leaves and some finely chopped shallot, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Ingredients

HERB AND RED WINE VINEGAR DRESSING:

• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 5 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1 level teaspoon salt
• 1 level teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
• 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

Mix together all the ingredients, adding the shallots last.

Yield: 4 servings

OLIVE OIL AND LEMON JUICE DRESSING:

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 5 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1 level teaspoon salt
• 1 level teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix together all the ingredients.

Yield: 4 servings

MARJORAM AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR DRESSING: 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (just 1 tablespoon may be enough if it is a very good vinegar) 5 tablespoons good quality olive oil 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram

Mix together all the ingredients.

Yield: 4 servings