Potato Salad With A Twist

A day early...

Four days ago, we had a few intense thunderstorms and quite heavy rain, part of New Mexico’s yearly monsoon. As welcome as the moisture is, it killed my internet connection… And the company which provides this service, Windstream, can’t send a repair person before August 25. Unacceptable? You bet! Luckily a neighbor lets me use his connection. Here is the recipe:

When I was little, and I mean REALLY little, potato salad was my all-time favorite meal. This was a few years after the war in Germany, when food was simple and anything but extravagant. Potato salad and hot-dogs, or better Wieners, would be served on special occasions, when my father’s siblings and my cousins and my family would gather at my grandparents’ house. It was somewhat like a pot-luck, and my father’s twin sister’s potato salad always tasted the best. When I was a bit older, I asked her about the secret ingredient, which was -- freshly grated horseradish! It’s not easy to find fresh horseradish, and the kind in a jar always has mayonnaise in it, so I use wasabi paste as an alternative when I make regular potato salad. It might work with this version, too, but I haven’t tried it.

Ingredients (for about four people):

• About 2 ½ LB of small, yellow potatoes

• ½ cup of diced red onion

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1 fresh chili pepper, diced — mild or hot, according to taste

• 1 cup of fresh cilantro leaves

• 3 avocados

• 1 lemon

• ½ cup vegan mayonnaise

• 1 TS Dijon mustard

• salt to taste

• 3 TS Balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Cut the potatoes into medium-sized chunks. You don’t have to remove the skin unless it’s very thick. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add some salt and the potatoes. When the water boils again, turn the heat down and simmer the potatoes for about 12 – 15 minutes; test with a fork that they are tender.

Drain the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. While still hot, add the balsamic vinegar, some salt, the chopped red onion and chili, and toss gently. Let cool a bit.

In a smaller bowl mash the avocados and mix with the mayonnaise, juice from the lemon, mustard, and some salt. Add the mayo-avocado mixture to the potatoes and combine everything. Add the cherry tomatoes and chopped cilantro leaves.

For nostalgic reasons, I serve it with vegan hot dogs…

Note: I happen to love cilantro, but I just read that it’s a genetic thing – to some people, the leaves taste like soap. Nothing they can do about it. You can use basil leaves instead if you don’t like cilantro, but use only ½ cup or less.