Moroccan Potato Salad

I went the entire 4th of July weekend without eating potato salad.  Pasta salad I did enjoy, but potato salad was something I failed to make.  It may sound like a sin to some to not eat it on the day of the summer when it seems the most common.  I bet it is the most common summer picnic salad because have been selling so much of it at my work in the deli lately it is crazy!   So yesterday after not having it on the 4th I was hungry for it, so I decided to make myself some.  It is the peak of potato salad season afterall.  No classic potato  salad for me however, I decided I needed something a little exotic.  So I decided to use a Greek yogurt based dressing and add some moroccan elements to it.  I laced the dressing with tahini and lemon with a bit of cumin and garlic, and sprinkled some toasted sesame seeds and smoked paprika.  For veggies I roasted some garlic scapes and asparagus I had in my fridge and added it to the potatoes along with some kalamata olives.  It was delicious!  I think I might even like this version better than the classic!  So...who cares if I didn't eat potato salad 4th of July weekend.  This more than made up for it! 

 

Moroccan Potato Salad

Serves 2

Dressing:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces
1 cup garlic scapes cut into 2 inch pieces
2 cups baby potatoes, halved, or quartered
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup halved kalamata olives
1/4 cup fresh mint, cut into chiffonade
4 hardboiled eggs, sliced
mixed greens of your choice (such as arugula, mizuno, dandilion, spinach, watercress)
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
smoked Spanish paprika

Whisk dressing ingredients together until smooth, and place in the fridge.  Preheat the oven to 475 and line a sheet pan with foil.  Toss asparagus and scapes with just enough olive oil to coat, and spread out on pan.  Roast for about 15-20 minutes until tender then remove from oven and let cool.  In a medium pot, cover potatoes with water and add about 1 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 20-25 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  In a large bowl, combine roasted veggies, potatoes, shallot, olives, mint, and eggs in a bowl, and toss with dressing until well combined.  Place greens on a plate, and top with salad, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and a little smokey paprika. 

Spring Beet and Potato Salad

Potato salad is something that people start craving this time of the year.  My Grandma always made it for our family when I was young, and it was always the same, bright yellow, topped with the hardboiled eggs, and red paprika!  It was tasty, but full of mayonnaise in large amounts of course, so not the most healthy.  We make a similar version at the deli I work in, and we always top it with hardboiled eggs as well...one of my cowoerkers Gabrielle lovingly refers to it as the "many eyed beast", and the customers love it!  I have to admit I do love classic potato salad, there is a comforting element to it.  But what I don't love is the unhealthy dressing that comes with it.  So the other day when I was enjoying some Greek yogurt and its creaminess, I thought it would be perfect for a healthy potato salad dressing!  So I created my own potato salad featuring spring ingredients.  Beets, ramps, and radishes were a must!  Maybe Grandma would have thought my shocking pink potato salad odd looking, but it was damn delicious!  It was the perfect meal, filling but light with a tangy dressing just as good as the classic, but kind to the waistline.  I loved the beets in there, they give it a nice sweetness that you don't get from just potatoes.  I think if my Grandma tasted it she would approve of course!  Here is the recipe if you would wish to try it! 

Spring Beet and Potato Salad

Serves 2

Dressing:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp dried chervil
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups cooked beets, diced large
2 cups baby potatoes, halved, or quartered
4 radishes, thinly sliced
2 ramps, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 hardboiled eggs, sliced
mixed greens of your choice (such as arugula, mizuno, dandilion, spinach, watercress)

Whisk dressing ingredients together until smooth.  Combine beets, potatoes, radishes, ramps, shallot, eggs in a bowl, and toss with dressing until well combined.  Place greens on a plate, and top with salad.