Dalai Mama Dishes

by Catherine Newman

Catherine Newman cooks for the family

Dalai Mama Dishes

Catherine Newman cooks for the family

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Green Goddess Potato Salad

Posted May 31, 2010
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I thought about whirring the dressing with the stick blender to make it even greener, but sometimes that does weird things to the taste of the herbs, so I restrained myself.

Our tarragon is preparing for the apocalypse, when it will need to sustain all animal life.

Herbs, scallions, anchovies.

This dressing would be great on a green salad, great as a dip, and great to serve with chicken wings. I just made myself drool writing that. Chicken wings.

Cooked potatoes. I love that they have you salt the water so heavily--that way the potatoes have a head start on being delicious before you even dress them.

We had burgers, potato salad, and grapefruit. I seem to be getting more and more eccentric with my side dishes.

Summer in a vase, summer on a plate, summer in a striped tank top.

It's Memorial Day, and I am trying to figure out what to do with 11 half gallons of whole milk. We get our milk delivered from a local dairy, and Michael thinks that he must have double-clicked the "1" when he was putting in our order last night. And now it's a holiday, and so we can't return it. Oops! Luckily I remembered that I borrowed (and haven't yet returned--sorry!) this book from a friend, and so I'm plotting mozzarella and ricotta, which I've made before with good results, and also Monterey jack and cheddar, which I have not made before. The latter pair of recipes involves baffling directions like "press at 50 pounds pressure for 12 hours" ("No, you're right, we do have a daughter--she's in the basement standing on our cheese.") and also "if unwanted mold develops, wipe the rind with a wrung-out piece of milk-soaked cheesecloth." Oh. Maybe I'll just make lots of pudding and quiche. Anyone need any whole milk?

Meanwhile, we are fully in barbeque season here. Can I ask you guys something? I know that I have zero credibility now that I've admitted to cheese-making, but still: are any of you actually making bread from that recipe I posted here? And, if so, would you be interested in a riff on it that makes the world's best hamburger buns? I keep wanting to post that recipe because it has changed my life. Buying buns has historically been my least favorite part of cook-outs: either they're supermarket-brand, and taste like white sponges that have been used to mop up a spill of fabric softener (you know what I mean?) or else they're from Whole Foods, and your simple cook-out turns into a refinancing-your-house situation. Anyways, let me know and I will either run it here, or send it to you.

But today, in case you're still plotting your afternoon side dishes, I'm offering you this recipe from the Lee Bros.' lovely new cookbook Simple Fresh Southern. I am reviewing this book for my alumni magazine, since either Ted or Matt went to the same college as me. (I actually already screwed up and emailed the wrong one of them--oops!. Anyone need 11 half gallons of milk?) So many of the recipes appeal to me (Radish Butter! Smoked Shrimp with 3 Dipping Sauces!) but this potato salad was a) something that seemed reasonable to make, b) a way to use some of the tarragon that is spreading into a kind of a hedge in front of our back door, and c) the kind of recipe where I'm lying in bed looking at it, my eyes darting from the photo to the ingredients list while a river of drool pools in the hollow of my collarbone. I knew I was going to love it, and I did. (The kids only liked it, but they did like it. "You don't love it?" I asked, and they said, patiently, "No. But it's good.") My only quibble is the "optional" anchovies. I kind of think that if you're going to skip them, don't make this. Unless you're substituting a teaspoon of fish sauce, which I think would be fine. But maybe that's just me.

Green Goddess Potato Salad
Serves 4 (or 6)
Active time: 25 minutes, plus 15 minutes resting

I love all kinds of potato salad--vinegary ones, bacony ones, mayonnaisey ones--and this, to my taste, is like a classic potato salad that has been gussied up just enough with herbs and lime juice. I will be making it again and again. You should look into this cookbook mostly because the recipes look so great--but also because the Lee brothers look like a cross between the nerdy-cute high-school boys I had a crush on and the super-cool garage-band high-school boys I had a crush on. Sigh.

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste (or half as much table salt)
2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters (I used Yukon golds)
1/2 cup high-quality store-bought mayonnaise, such a Hellman's or Duke's
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (white and green parts)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
2 anchovy fillets, minced or 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste "(optional)"
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar (I used plain old white vinegar)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1. Fill a 4-quart stockpot half full with water, add 2 tablespoons of the salt and the potatoes, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until just fork-tender but cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. (Mine took more like 15 minutes)

2. While the potatoes cook, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, scallions, parsley, tarragon, anchovies "(if desired)," vinegar, lime juice, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper together in a large bowl.

3. Drain the potatoes well and add them to the bowl; toss with the dressing. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature (as the salad loses its heat, it will absorb the dressing). Taste again for salt. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving.

Get a printable version of this recipe.

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About Catherine Newman

Catherine Newman is the author of the memoir, Waiting for Birdy: A Year of Frantic Tedium, Neurotic Angst, and the Wild Magic of Growing a Family, available online and in bookstores nationwide.

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