It is officially summer today. The summer solstice is currently taking place as I write this post. It seems like a magical time of year. The next two days will be the longest days of the season and it is the time for potato salad.
For Father's Day this year we had a cook-out for Michael's Dad. It was my chance to make my favorite, long-awaited, red potato salad.
As you are fully aware by now, I am a true southern girl. I grew up with salads of all kinds prepared specifically with Duke's mayonnaise and Mt. Olive sweet pickles: macaroni salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, and most beloved of all, potato salad. Many people think these salads are rather old-fashioned and too heavy, but I still love them. I don't make or eat these salads often, so when I do, I enjoy them thoroughly!
Mom used skinned russet potatoes for her fantastic salad. I remember her making it most frequently for summer roadside picnics. Mom would get up really early and make a big batch of crispy, hot fried chicken along with her delicious potato salad, and we'd hit the road just waiting for the time we could stop for lunch!
My salad has been spunked up with honey dijon mustard, sweet onions, apple cider vinegar, and red potatoes fully dressed with their skins. I love the color of the potatoes and the kick of the honey dijon. I'll serve this salad again on July 4th and I can't wait! I hope you enjoy it!
Carrie's Sweet and Sassy Red Potato Salad
2 lbs. red bliss potatoes, boiled and cubed (NOT peeled)
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
1/2 cup Mt. Olive Sweet Pickles, finely chopped
1/2 cup sweet onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely
3-4 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
3/4 cup Duke's mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey dijon mustard
1 tablespoon juice from sweet pickles
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional Ingredients:
1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
Directions:
In a large bowl: Mix together the boiled and cubed red potatoes, chopped sweet pickles, chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped sweet onions, chopped celery, chopped fresh chives, and the additional ingredients (if you desire). Set aside.
To make the dressing: In a medium sized bowl whisk together mayonnaise, honey dijon mustard, sweet pickle juice, and apple cider vinegar. Add salt and pepper. Dressing should be the consistency of a pour-able salad dressing. If it is too thick add a little more sweet pickle juice, until it is pour-able. When dressing is ready, pour over red potato mixture. Toss together with a rubber spatula. Make sure the entire salad is coated but do not over-mix, so as not to "mash" the potatoes.
Potato salad is great warm, but refrigerate if not serving immediately. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
NOTE: Potatoes and eggs can be chopped, boiled, and cooled ahead of time. For instance: the night before the salad will be served. This makes preparation the following day a snap!