Given it’s Spring, it’s salad and grilling time. I’ve been wanting to make this salad for a while and it finally came time to make it. You have the cool, soft, yet firm, small potatoes coupled with the crisp freshness of the spring vegetables, the sweet tanginess of the pickled onions and the creamy sharpness of the mustard dressing. This potato salad really does have it all. So, next time you’re in the mood for potato salad, take a break from your old favorite standby and give this a try. We think you will be pleased that you did.

When you think of summer, you think of beautiful weather, barbecue, grilling, picnics and potato salad. Have you ever noticed that regardless of whether you’re a great cook, good cook or not so good cook, everyone has a potato salad they make. Now, what’s so special about potato salad that everybody has a recipe? Everybody likes potato salad of one kind or another. Some people, like me, love all sorts of different kinds of potato salads. I don’t think I have ever met someone who didn’t like some form of potato salad.  Potato salad simply takes on flavors from across the world’s culinary cuisines. There is warm German Potato salad that is vinaigrette based with onions and bacon. You have Spanish potato salads (where it originated) that are cooked and dressed with wine or vinegar. The French started concocting mayonnaise based potato salads well before they were ever introduced into the US. Then, there is your trusty standard US cold potato salad. Of course, none of these potato salads are standard. Some people bake their potatoes; whereas, others boil them. Some people like their potatoes soft and use russets, others like them firmer and use yukon gold, still others mash their potatoes. Then, you have a myriad of different ingredients and dressings which become too voluminous to discuss.

This is a wonderful mustard based potato salad that would be a wonderful addition to any outdoor cookout, barbecue, picnic or family gathering. We love it and hope you give it a try.

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 1.5 lb small new potatoes
• 1 lb asparagus, cut on an angle
• 2 cups sugar snap peas, sliced on an angle
• 4 large radishes, sliced
• 1 bunch red spring onions, bulbs sliced into 1/8 – 1/4 inch rounds and greens sliced on an angle (You can substitute white if you want or it it’s all you can find but I like the color and flavor of the red better)
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp honey

For the Mustard Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp coarse, stone ground mustard
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp white Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instruction

For the Mustard Dressing

First, make the mustard dressing. Add olive oil to a small bowl.

Add the stone ground mustard

Vinegar

then the dijon mustard

Add salt

and pepper

Whisk together to incorporate to a creamy mixture, cover and set aside until ready to dress the salad.

For the Salad

First, cook the potatoes in highly salted water. You know they are done when a toothpick goes through the potato without resistance.

When done, drain potatoes, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the pickled onions. First, add honey to a medium size mixing bowl

water

white wine vinegar

and salt

Whisk until salt is dissolved and everything is incorporated. Now, add the onions.

Weight down the onions with a plate to keep them submerged in the pickling solution

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours until ready to serve. When ready to serve, par blanche the asparagus by pouring the asparagus into salted, boiling water with 1/2 tsp baking soda to preserve the color of the asparagus.

Cook for 1 minute, then remove from the boiling water and shock by placing in ice cold water.

Add the potatoes to a large serving bowl.

Now, drain the pickled onions and add them to the potatoes

Add the sliced sugar snap peas

the sliced green tops from the onions

add the sliced radishes

Add asparagus

Now, add the dressing

Gently fold to incorporate all of the ingredients and coat with the dressing.

Finish with boiled eggs

serve

and enjoy! We certainly did. 🙂