Holy moly, it’s been unbearably HOT … and hard to keep cool without AC. Hopefully the heat wave ends soon.
Needless to say, Rookie and I didn’t spend much time outdoors over the long Labor Day weekend. Instead, we stayed inside (with the blinds closed) and binge-watched Hulu shows, including:
- FYRE FRAUD
- The Dropout
- The Bear (highly riveting and recommended)
- Kid 90
Miraculously, I also managed to fire up the stove to cook tarragon mustard chicken skewers and this tangy potato salad with celery and mustard. Every drop of sweat was worth it.
Both dishes were knockouts, but the tangy potato salad blew me away. The unpretentious side is packed with flavor (thanks to the addition of plenty of spring onions and celery and an entire lemon) and surprisingly refreshing on a sizzling afternoon.
P.S. Now that I’ve tackled two of Alison Roman’s recipes for delicious summer salads, I’m tempted to make the third. Have you tried her cucumbers with red onion and sesame?
Recipe adapted from a newsletter by Alison Roman.
- 2 pounds baby Dutch yellow or fingerling potatoes
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more, to taste
- 5 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 5 stalks celery, cut diagonally into ⅛" pieces
- 1 lemon, ends and seeds removed and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup celery leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
- Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 10-15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Gently smash each potato with the heel of your hand to about ½-inch thickness.
- In a large bowl, combine the spring onions, celery, lemon, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Add prepared potatoes and olive oil and toss gently to combine.
- Add celery leaves and dill and toss gently to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or cold.
