Thursday, May 23, 2013

Herbed Potato Salad with Green Peppercorns



Maybe because it was already many months ago that I last made a potato salad, this one tasted so good when I made it last week. I made it to accompany grilled meat. And because a long weekend, which traditionally starts the grilling season is coming up, I decided today to share the recipe for that salad.

Potato salads or salads with potatoes as their main ingredient are quite popular in many cuisines. But because they are so known I always look for a new and refreshing ideas on how to prepare them.

Last winter, I bought in an Indian spice store a large jar of green peppercorn pickles. Although I shared the jar with my friend I was still left with a lot. I added them to a fillet mignon steak sauce, but still the jar remained rather full.

Last week I decided to make a potato salad from baby potatoes I got at TJ. My herbs are already blooming in my herb yard, so I thought that a herb potato salad would be a great accompaniment to grilled meat I was preparing.

But although herbs were exceptionally fresh and I added a lot of chives, the salad seemed still too mild when I tasted it. Then green peppercorns came to the rescue. I added a generous spoon of them and the salad became instantly stronger, almost spicy when you bit a peppercorn. It tasted great with grilled beef.

Of course you do not need to buy a 27-oz jar or a yearly supply of peppercorns. A small jar sold in most food stores is absolutely enough. But it is worth trying as the salad season begins.


Herbed Potato Salad with Green Peppercorns

Ingredients:
1 lb of baby potatoes or wax potatoes,
1/3 cup mixed fresh herbs such as dill, chives, oregano, tarragon and thyme, finely chopped,
3 tbsp low fat Greek yogurt,
2 tbsp mayonnaise,
1/2 tsp sugar,
2 tbsp olive oil,
1 tbsp green peppercorn pickles,
salt to taste.


Preparation:
1. Cook potatoes, let them cool and place them in a large bowl. Cut the large potatoes into small cubes.
2. In a small bowl pour in oil, yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar and pinch of salt. Whip all the ingredients using a whisker.
3. Add chopped herbs to the dressing. Mix again.
4. Pour the sauce over the potatoes, sprinkle with peppercorns and mix.