Potato Salad

Spanish explorers brought the potato to Europe in the 16th century, where they quickly became integrated into the various local cuisines. European settlers then in turn introduced the potato to America, where it once again was adapted to local ingredients and dishes.

The first mention of potato salad in a book was in 1597 by John Gerrard who said, among other things: "However they be dressed, they comfort, nourish and strengthen the body."

Potato salads come in many forms and became very popular in the later part of the 19th century, with cold varieties evolving from British and French recipes, and warm varieties with hot vinegar and bacon dressings over vegetables originating more with Germans preference.

I personally completely stay away from potato salads (out in public) for the very reason that mayonnaise and other less than desired ingredients tend to be in the mix... which brings us to this particular recipe (don't you love how I did that!...).

Very easy and very quick: Potato Salad w/ Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:
2 med-lrg Sweet Potatoes
or 5-7 sm Red Potatoes
3 Tb Tahini
2 tsp Mustard*
1 Lemon, juiced
2 sticks Celery
2 Carrots
1 med Cucumber
Herbs: dill, parsley
salt, pepper to taste

You can cooked the potatoes any way you want, really -either boiling with a little salt added or steaming will do just fine. I generally opt for steaming so I cut the potatoes into small chuncks to expediate the process.

Once done, run quickly under cold water and place in the fridge until ready to mix the dressing.

Slice the vegetables and add to the potatoes.

Mix the Tahini, mustard and lemon juice separately, then pour over the potatoes and mix well.

Add salt and pepper as desired. Add dill, parsley, and/or any other herbs of choice.

Keep cool until ready to serve over lucious greens.

Last picture is with the sweet potatoes and the one above in the white dish is with the red potatoes. As far as I'm concerned, sweet potatoes win hands down on taste. :)

*Browsing the mustard section in my local health food market in anticipation to this recipe, I notice a new jar (at least new to me -I had not seen it before) which uses Apple Cider Vinegar instead of the traditional white vinegar. It's the Organic Brown Mustard from Eden Foods. What a find! Try it out, it tastes great. (I'm just providing the link for information purposes).