POTATO SALAD

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Caryn

Momma’s recipe and my favorite salad. Small chunks of potatoes with diced ingredients makes this perfect in every way!

INGREDIENTS:

Dill Pickles, 4 diced fine – I Cup

Potatoes, 10 – Chopped

Hard Boilef Eggs, 7 – chopped fine

Green Onions, 2 Bunches diced 1 Cup

Celery, 2 1/2 Cups diced fine

Tobbasco, 1 teaspoon

Mayonnaise, 1 Cup

Sour Cream, 1 Cup

Salad Dressing, 1 Cup Gerards

Champagne Oil and Vinegar – 1 Cup

Parsley, 1/3 Cup chopped

Fresh dill Weed, 1/2 Cup

Mustard, 1/4 heaping Cup not dry

Seasoned Rice Vinegar, 1/4, plus a little

(Additional ingredients that momma now uses, that I forgot to buy are…2 shallots and one cucumber diced, seeds taken out)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the potatoes in their skin until fork tender.

Either Nuke or cook in boiling water for 40 minutes or until fork tender.

Peal the potatoes, chop and sprinkle with Rice Wine Vinegar. Let the potatoes cool while the vinegar soaks in then add the Salad Dressing and Salt and Pepper. Add the hard boiled eggs, Parsley, Celery, Pickles, Shallots, Cucumber and Green Onions and stir. Fresh parsley is the best but fry will do.

Combine Mayonnaise, Mustard, Sour Cream and Tabasco and add to the salad. Best if you let sit overnight.

My Momma has been making this potato salad since 1949. She put it together from her memory, she didn’t get the recipe from anyone…she made it up herself. Because I don’t like big chunks of potatoes, I absolutely love this. She tasted many salads that other people made but came up with this version of perfectness.through her years, but she didn’t really didn’t like the huge chunks of potatoes…and this is what I make today.

Her fabulous recipe for potato salad…is one that has been requested for years from so many people. I married an Italian and his family made potato salad but it was far different than momma’s. It was good…but not wonderful. This one is the best I have ever had.

Potato Salad is something that goes perfectly with just about any main dish…especially in the summer.

Everyone to this day, continues to ask my momma to make her potato salad when we get together, and she will be 89 this year. It really is that good.

Like most things I make, you may want to cut the ingredients in half. This recipe will serve twenty.

Wash and cut the bad spots out of 10 potatoes.

I’m fortunate to have a source for very large Russet Potatoes. If you cannot find monster potatoes in your area, just increase the number you use. Lay them on a paper towel and put them in the microwave on high for 10 minutes.

I have, or really I should say that I had…a very fast cooking microwave. Unfortunately while I was cooking these potatoes, mine blew up.

If this unfortunate thing happens to you, just cook them skin and all, in a pot covered with water, until fork tender.

I cooked five at a time for 10 minutes, turned them over and cooked them for an additional 10 minutes.

(If you are using a regular size potato it should be done in 10 minutes)

Because my micro blew up, the second batch never got done, and I had to revert to the boiling method.

Removing all the skin and any dark spots

Take the skin off the potatoes, and be careful because they are very hot. (These are actually momma’s hands…sigh…I just love her so much)

I am so very thankful that my momma was able to come up here and show me exactly how to make this.

It makes me so happy to see her hands in these pictures.

Slice the warm potatoes

Then dice them

Put the potatoes into a bowl and, while they are still warm, drizzle with that overflowing 1/4 cup of Rice Wine Vinegar. The more you make this the better you will be able to judge what that overflowing measurement is.

Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of Salt and 2 teaspoons of freshly ground Pepper.

Set aside and let the potatoes and rice wine vinegar really get to know each other. The potatoes will absorb the vinegar when they are warm…and that is exactly what you want. It gives the salad a really tangy wonderful taste. In the mean time, occupy yourself with all the other little things that need to get done, or sip on a glass of wine. 🙂

I boiled 10 eggs the night before so all I had to do was put them in the Cuisinart.

I seriously would buy a Cuisinart just to use for hard-boiled eggs and nothing else…that is what an amazing job it does…in a matter of seconds, they are done. All I did was pulse it four times and all ten eggs were perfectly chopped.

Chopped and ready to go into the potatoes

Add the eggs to the potatoes

11 Stalks of Celery

Slice thinly the length of the stalk

And dice

Two bunches of green onions

Diced

Dill Pickles

4 Pickles

Everyone has their favorite pickles, mine are Claussen’s, but use any dill’s that you love.

This is my favorite and what I always use, but any olive oil and vinegar dressing that is your favorite will be perfect.

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup Sour Cream

4 Shakes Tabasco

1/4 heaping Cup of Yellow Mustard

Combine and add to the potatoes

Mix together. The dressing looks like a lot, but it really isn’t, because the potatoes will absorb it all.

Top with Paprika and chill overnight.

Serve the next day and remember to taste it first, in case it needs more salt and pepper or, if it is a little dry, you can always add a little more dressing or mayonnaise.

NAPOLEON SALAD

Posted on March 16, 2019 by Caryn

A salad that not only tastes magnificent, but is beautiful too.

This is one beautiful salad…simple to make yet very, very elegant. It is a main dish, very rich because of the goat cheese and extremely filling, you really need nothing more than toasted bread to go with it.

Ingredients:

Raw Beets, one bunch

Goat cheese, 1/2 packet

Mozzarella Cheese, 2 Slices

Cilantro, 1 Cup diced

Green Onions, 3 Chopped fine

Peaches. Canned 1/2 cup

Head Lettuce, 2 cups

Mixed Lettuce, 1 cup

Avocado, 1 smashed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Peel and cook the raw beets for 60 minutes

Combine the goat cheese, cilantro, and green onion in a bowl

Drain peaches and set aside

Smash the avocado and add salt and freshly ground pepper.

Cut the raw beets off the stems and peel them. Don’t worry that your hands look like they are going to be permanently stained…they aren’t…it will wash off.

I wash and keep the beet leaves to use in Smoothies. After they are washed, blot them dry and store them in a baggie.

After the beets are peeled, lay them on a baking sheet, drizzle with salt, freshly ground pepper and olive oil.

I cooked these for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, and then turned them over for an additional 15 minutes. They need to be fork tender.

When they are done I put them on a plate, and set aside, while I put the rest of the salad together.

The goat cheese we buy comes in a packet of two, I will only use half of one today.

The goat cheese goes in a bowl with two green onions, chopped very fine, and one cup of cilantro, chopped fine with the stems removed.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix together completely with a fork.

One avocado, taken out of the skin and smash up in a bowl with a fork…add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Now to assemble the Napoleon…

I will start with head lettuce, then add mixed lettuce for the two salads I am making today. Make a space in the center where the Napoleon will go.

Set the ring mold in the center of the lettuce and start making the layers. Beets, cheese mixture, peaches, cheese mixture, beets and avocado.

(A slice of Mozzarella Cheese is a nice variation to using the goat cheese twice. The only reason I didn’t use it this time, is because I was out of it)

When you have added the layers, simply pull the ring up. It removes easily and you now have one very pretty Napoleon.

The salads are ready except for a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar over the top, and a very light oil and vinegar dressing on the lettuce.

I also toasted some homemade bread, cut in triangles, and added them to the plate.

It’s fun to make a Napoleon, because you can choose whatever you want for each layer. Many times for me, it ends up being whatever I can find in the fridge. They are beautiful and colorful and the combination of flavors, really taste amazing.

OVERNIGHT SALAD

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Caryn

A truly beautiful and great tasting salad made ahead of time.

Salad Ingredients:

16 oz Bag Baby Spinach, washed and dried

1/2 Bell Pepper, Red sliced thin

1/2 Bell Pepper, Yellow sliced thin

1 Package Mushrooms, sliced thin (your favorite kind)

10 oz Bag Frozen Peas

1 Head Iceberg or Romaine lettuce, chopped

Salt and Pepper, to taste

4 Tomatoes, chopped

12 oz Package Bacon, cooked and crumbled

10 Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped

8 oz Cheddar Cheese, grated

4 Celery Stalks, diced

1 Bunch Green Onions, thinly sliced

1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Dressing:

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup Sour Cream

2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon Sugar

2 teaspoons Lemon Pepper

1 teaspoon Basil

1 teaspoon Garlic, crushed

Directions:

In a clear glass bowl, only because if you use a clear bowl it will show off the beautiful layers of your salad…layer each ingredient starting with the spinach first. For convenience sake, I put the ingredients list in the order I make my salad but you can arrange it in any order you like.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well. Pour over the ingredients half way through, and then when you are finished stacking, pour on the remainder to form a seal.

Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate at least overnight, or this can even be made two to three days in advance.

Toss before serving…after you have set it on the table and everyone has been able to see how beautiful it is. : )

Make ahead, which is the key thing for me…colorful and super tasty, overnight salad.

This is an old recipe that was given to me when I first got married. I didn’t use it for years while my kids were small, but now like everything else…the old is new, and I love making this again. Especially when I’m taking a dish to someone’s house. I really love it because it is done the day before…or even two days before and it is such a beautiful dish on the table. I guarantee that anyone who likes salads will love this one.

This is so simple…all you have to do is chop and layer.

Any vegetable that you love can be added to this, or any that you don’t like can, of course, be taken out.

Mix the dressing and set aside

Start with a layer of spinach

I like the shape of this bowl, but any glass bowl that allows you to see the layers will be perfect to use.

Baby Bell Peppers, thinly sliced

Then a layer of sliced mushrooms with peas on top.

Pour a thin layer of the dressing over the peas.

Next is a layer of chopped iceberg lettuce

Add salt and pepper to your liking

Add a layer of chopped tomatoes

Cook the bacon and crumble it up for the next layer

It really is such a beautiful salad

Next is a layer of hard boiled eggs, smashed or chopped

I have to admit that using a Cuisinart for this, is technology at it’s finest.

For 10 eggs I only have to hit pulse 4 times and they are perfectly chopped. When I used a fork it took me forever to smash them…but not anymore. I don’t like big chunks…I like it when they are all the same size pieces.

I would buy this machine, even if I never used it for anything else in my kitchen, other than eggs. It is that worth it.

The layers can be pushed down a bit to allow for more room. No matter how big the bowl, I always have to push it down. I have that bigger is better mentality I suppose.

Grated Cheese

Green Onions sliced thin (the diced celery missed the photo shoot, but it goes in with the onions)

Last the remainder of the dressing to cover the salad completely.

It’s pretty, and it tastes wonderful, plus you can make it the day(s) before. I really appreciate anything I can get done ahead of time when I’m having a group over.

Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese before serving.

BEET SALAD

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Caryn

A delicious and fresh salad made with fresh beets and fruit…perfect for a summer salad.

Ingredients for one Salad:

Beets, 2 peeled and quartered

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, drizzled over the beets

Salt, 1 teaspoon

Pepper, freshly ground, 1 teaspoon

Walnuts, 3 Tablespoons, chopped

Mixed Greens. 2 Handfuls (this measurement totally depends on the size of salad you are preparing)

Spinach fresh, one handful

Asparagus fresh or canned, 5

Peaches, 1 peeled and cut in bite size pieces

Goat Cheese, 3 Tablespoons, crumbled

Blue Cheese, 3 Tablespoons, crumbled

Beet stems, a few sprinkled on the salad

Oil and vinegar dressing drizzled over the top

Directions:

The beets must be cooked and cooled before the salad can be put together, so allow time for that. A bed of mixed lettuce is topped with the following ingredients of asparagus, chopped peaches, chunks of goat cheese and blue cheese, walnuts and the crispy stems of the cooked beets. Lastly, dress lightly with oil and vinegar.

My husband and I took a day trip to Tennessee, and had the best lunch at a restaurant in the Opryland Hotel. We ordered a few small dishes, just to sample what they had, and this beet salad was one of them. I will admit to you that I never liked beets in the past, and that is a huge understatement. To me they tasted like dirt, but this salad was amazingly good. So good in fact, that as soon as we got home to Georgia, I went to work creating my own version.

This monster of a salad is not a side, but a delightful light main dish, big enough to satisfy even my husband. It is a perfect meal in itself…it’s light, filling, and has an explosion of flavors. Really, you don’t need anything else but this for dinner…except maybe some great crusty bread.

I now understand why I hated beets as a child. Canned beets were all I ever had and the difference between the taste of a beet that is fresh and one from the can is like night and day. One being amazingly good and the other tasting more like aluminum than anything else.

After all these years of cooking, this was the very first time I ever bought and cooked fresh beets.

Fresh beets, wash…cut off the stems and roast in the oven

You can buy beets in a bunch or individually. The first time I just bought a few single ones so I could get different colors. They all taste the same, but it looks really pretty on the dish.

You can cook them as they are or peel them first. I found I liked to peel them because they absorbed the wonderful taste of the olive oil, salt and pepper better.

Cook them in the oven uncovered with salt, pepper and olive oil, or cover for a bit softer texture.

Cooking beets is really simple, you just need to quarter them, and put them on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. In the oven they go at 350 for about 40 minutes. Check on them and when they are fork tender, they are done. This can be done a few days before you are planning to eat them or right before you make the salad. I always love anything I can do ahead of time. I like to peal the beets first before cooking, but you don’t have to…it can be done after.

Beet leaves and stems

I like to chop the stems of the beets and use them in the salad also…they get very crispy when cooked in the oven and they add a nice little crunch to the top of the salad.

Beautiful red color and they also have gold beets

The first time I cooked the beets I put them in the oven whole, which you can do…but then I found it was easier to peel and quarter them first before they went into the oven. Although the cooked red beets were very pretty, I found I did not particularly like my hands to be stained the same color for days as a result of peeling them after they were cooked. If you prefer this method, you might want to wear gloves.

Lay the stems on the cookie sheet as well, covering them liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place the beets in the oven and cook for 40 minutes at 350 degrees, or until fork tender. Underdone beets are not a good thing.

If you didn’t peel and quarter them first, peel them now and cut them into bite size pieces to go on the salad.

Chop a 1/4 cup of Walnuts

I always keep a bag of walnuts in my freezer, they stay fresh for a really long time, and it keeps me from running to the store at the last minute when I need them for a recipe.

The beet stems are off to the side. I’ll put them on the salad at the last minute for a nice toasty crunch.

I like pretty good size pieces in my salad.

Mixed lettuce and canned or fresh asparagus.

Start with a layer of mixed greens.

It’s so wonderful to be able to purchase greens clean and ready for the plate. I used mixed greens and spinach.

I’m one of those people who love asparagus, both fresh, and canned. Tonight, since I didn’t have any fresh, I went with canned.

Next comes the beets.

Beets and peaches

One peach, peeled and cut in bite size pieces. The combination of the beets along with the cheese and peaches is amazingly good.

Add goat cheese chunks

The creamy texture of the goat cheese plays off the sharpness of the blue cheese beautifully. Then you have the sweetness of the peaches and the rich earthy taste of the beets…the crunch of the walnuts…oooooh this is insanely good!

Add Walnuts

Sprinkle the walnuts over the salad

Add Beet stems

Top with the beet stems

Add a little salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and drizzle lightly with oil salad dressing.

Girard’s Champagne Dressing is my favorite. I can’t tell you how many bottles I have given to people when they come for dinner. They can’t believe something so good came out of a bottle.

Salad and crusty bread…what could be better?

Served with the most amazing Crusty Italian bread from Nova’s bakery in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a three hour drive for us…but really is worth it.

The perfect bite is to get each amazing ingredient on the fork at the same time. This would also be amazing as a side salad…much smaller of course, but I found I didn’t want to eat anything else on the plate and decided to make it the main dish.

Super easy…light…wonderful summer meal.

Food and My iPhone

This little blog of mine…enjoying the world of food one bite at a time

Tag Archives: Salad

POTATO SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

(Additional ingredients that momma now uses, that I forgot to buy are…2 shallots and one cucumber diced, seeds taken out)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the potatoes in their skin until fork tender.

Peal the potatoes, chop and sprinkle with Rice Wine Vinegar. Let the potatoes cool while the vinegar soaks in then add the Salad Dressing and Salt and Pepper. Add the hard boiled eggs, Parsley, Celery, Pickles, Shallots, Cucumber and Green Onions and stir. Fresh parsley is the best but fry will do.

Combine Mayonnaise, Mustard, Sour Cream and Tabasco and add to the salad. Best if you let sit overnight.

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup Sour Cream

4 Shakes Tabasco

1/4 heaping Cup of Yellow Mustard

Combine and add to the potatoes

NAPOLEON SALAD

OVERNIGHT SALAD

BEET SALAD