Have you been losing sleep over what to bring to a 4th of July party? (I hope you’re not losing sleep over not being invited to a 4th of July party.) Let me start by saying that not everything has to be red, white, and blue for a 4th of July meal. Let someone else bring the RW&B dipped strawberries, cookies, cakes, salads (these never really work), etc. Show up with a cool, creamy, potato salad and do a little indepen-dance as you watch others mound it on their plates.
This recipe is one my sister-in-law introduced me to, and is adapted from a quirky cookbook called Leaving Home by Louise (Lulu) P. Grace — “For people who love good food . . . but don’t know how to cook . . . are too tired to cook . . . or don’t want to cook.” Yep, Lulu covered all the bases. I gather from the book’s Dedication that she was also a dreamer — “Kids, here’s hoping that you can prepare and serve these delicious and nutritious dishes to your friends, husbands, wives, and Dad and me.” The book, published in 1984, is out of print, but you can still find it on eBay.
The majority of the recipes in the book, including this potato salad, call for “Knorr Swiss Aromat Seasoning for Meat.” The main ingredients of this seasoning are salt (ok) and msg (which I do not use), and thus, I omitted it from the recipe.
Potato salad doesn’t necessarily need a recipe — it’s pretty easy to wing it (taters gonna tate). But for those who prefer a consistently good one, this is a contender.
- 3 cups peeled, diced, cooked russet potatoes
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup diced sweet yellow onion
- ¼ cup dill relish
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a large pot, and add the potatoes. Boil until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and let cool completely.
- Put the cooled potatoes in a large bowl and mash a few of the chunks to give the salad a creamy, not smooth, texture. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
See you tater, alligator