[Rainey]

I know we're ahead of some of you and behind others but the switch has been thrown in LA. It's been genuinely hot the last couple of days. Even if it isn't where you are, Memorial Day is just around the corner so you might as well prepare for BBQs and outdoor eating.

Sooooo, how do you do potato salad? Do you actually have a "recipe"? Or do you eyeball it? I'd love to hear how many possibilities there are for this ubiquitous food.
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God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

[Barbara]

I've not heard the expression "eyeball it". But I guess that is what I do. I boil the diced potatoes,soften the chopped onions and just mix it all with bottled mayo (Best Foods - because it's always in the house as one of my children simply cannot live without it), chopped parsley (if I have it in the fridge or sometimes in the garden). When my son makes it he adds bacon to it.
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Barbara

[melinda]

I know I'm strange but I've never been fond of potato salad
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Make me half the person my dog thinks I am.

[Dairy_Queen]

If you're strange, melinda, than so am I. Potato salad...h-m-m-m....indifferent to it, am I. If it's part of a cook-out that I'm not doing, than I'll eat it, but I've never said, "Damn! That was some powerfully good potato salad!!!"

Potato Salad is HUGE in my part of Michigan, which explains why one of the grocery stores here sells THIRTEEN VARIETIES! I've had home-made, I've had store bought, I've had mustard, mayonaise, pesto, vinegar, German, Old-Fashioned, etc. I eat it 'cause it's "there", but I never go out of my way to make it or buy it.

Strange I am, too. I'm just not that enamoured with cold potato anything.
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Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Groucho Marx

[Rainey]

Well, if you guys don't like it, you don't like it. Fortunatley, there's no need to eat it. But it's popular at my house in the summer!

We had it last night with the brisket I rubbed with Judy's ras-el-hanout (I loved it). And tonight we'll have the leftovers with a chili/lime marinated chicken.
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God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

[Dairy_Queen]

Poor, Rainey. Does it help that all my friends like it? No? Oh, well. I'm glad that it's a hit at your house, though.
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Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Groucho Marx

[Rainey]

Mabbee just my house... I would have thought more people had special recipes.

I'll tell ya what I do: I use red potatoes and leave the skins on (unless it's for company and then I chicken out and peel half the potatoes and pull out any skins that get loose in the dressing). I toss the warm sliced potatoes in a vinaigrette and put them in the fridge to cool. After they do I put in the aromatics, hard boiled eggs and a dressing of mayo, horseradish sauce and Dijon mustard.

So, how about anybody else's? Falling apart potatoes or slightly undercooked to retain their form? Pickles or no thank you? Mayo or not on your life?
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God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

[Amber]

I love potato salad! When I make it, I don't use a recipe but toss all sorts of things in. However, one thing I always add to the dressing is sour cream, which nobody so far has seemed to mention. Using your own home-made mayonnaise with garlic or lime tastes great. Thinly sliced onion soaked in salted water to soften it or finely sliced shallots... mint... parsely... seeded mustard... even avocado! Make sure it is well seasoned. I think the important thing is to make sure it is flavorsome and that the potato is properly cooked. I'm sure we have all eaten some that is clammy-cold, too undercooked and just coated in that yucky, milky, indescernably-flavoured 'dressing'. I guess I like potato salad because I am infatuated with potato, but it may not be for everyone. =)
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.*???. all things in moderation .???*.

[Sarape]

One of those foods which I think I've only ever eaten outdoors. Potato salad or macaroni salad was always on the menu during the summer cookouts on the back deck.

Like mine with well-cooked potatoes. Though it was not really a favorite food for me. And I've never made it myself. I also don't miss baked beans, the other food always present with potato salad in my family.
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' She says, 'I am the glamorous type.' I said, 'So what?'

[rebecca]

The "traditional" mayonnaise-based potato salad is not my thing. I prefer hot German potato salad (with lots of vinegar and bacon) or a simple bowl of steamed baby new red potatoes tossed with olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs. I'm not sure if the latter actually qualifies as a potato salad; but it has potatoes, it has bits of green, it's salad-esque.

[JustMe]

I have a recipe from an obscure Australian cookbook that is at least 30 years old. I use that recipe: it calls for French dressing and mustard. I love it. I can remember as a teenager my girlfriend's mother used to put chopped dill pickles in hers: I loved it but could never duplicate it.

For a nice taste treat try using potatoes that have been barbecued first.

I also once had a "Greek" potato salad which had feta cheese, tomatoes & cucumbers: very good as well.
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Life is too short to drink cheap wine.

[Dairy_Queen]

JustMe: If you have the time, could you post the French Dressing and the Greek Potato Salad recipes? Ple-e-e-a-s-e!???

It's the mayonaise that bugs me, in potato salad. I just don't like mayo, home-made or store-bought. But, the sound of that French Dressing recipe sounds yummy. And I also LOVE feta cheese!

I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can post one or both recipes!
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Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Groucho Marx

[Lady Amalthea]

Dary Queen, My partner feels the same way about mayo so I'm hard-pressed to get him to eat ANY cold summery salad (except for tuna salad; don't know why he'll eat mayo in that). I'm gonna second your call for the non-mayo-based potato salad!
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Don't forget the cannolis!

[Bill]

For me the perfect potato salad has no mayo,
Baby new potatoes, steamed until just soft, then tossed in very hot olive oil in a pan with salt and black pepper, straight into a bowl with chopped mint, some more olive oil and favourite vinegar of the moment (presently sherry).
Possible extras: chopped bacon, garlic, and best of all, chopped roasted asparagus and black olives...

[birgit]

I know two variants of potato salad without mayonnaise. For the typical swabian version you need waxy potatoes (which is important for the consistency), cooked, peeled and sliced (ca. 5 mm slices) when still a bit warm, some hot instant broth which is poured over finely diced onions to soften them, white wine vinegar and white pepper, oil and perhaps some more salt. The consistency of the swabian salad is a bit more liquid than other variations and it is served cold, preferably with swabian ravioli, which are covered with lots of onion rings fried in some butter until nicely golden brown. Yum!

The other variety calls for not so waxy cooked potatoes, cut in rough cubes and combined with a sauce made of hot meat broth poured over finely diced onions, salt and pepper, finely diced gherkins and a bit of their marinating liquid, a spoonful of mustard and oil, some fried diced ham if you like and plenty of chives. If preferred you can put in a little mayonnaise as well. It's served slightly warm. Its consistency is dryier than the swabian version, and it's great served with escalops and cucumber salad.

Altogether it's important to know that potato salad doesn't seem to keep very long, especially after parties on long and sunny afternoons. Everybody tells you here, that it should be eaten as soon as possible (which normally is no probem at all ;o) ...). Putting left overs in the fridge after the party, overnight, as soon as possible, seems to be ok as well.