Nonna's Potato Salad

I suppose there are as many variations of Potato Salad as there are days in the year if not more.

Simplicity preserves the integrity of each ingredient in this Potato Salad and is prepared the way it has been for generations. You won’t find any  mayonnaise, sour cream or other disguised ingredients since they just don’t have a place in this recipe.  It has accompanied us on many picnics over the years and served as a delicious side dish to many barbeque dinners.

It’s interesting to note that some recipes passed down from generation to generation are quite simple and only require minimal and simple dressings.

It was not so long ago that olive oil was enjoyed from family olive groves, vinegar from a batch of homemade wine whose vintage didn’t quite make the grade and fresh herbs that flourished instead of flower gardens. In past generations, these were staple ingredients of an Italian household, simple and easily available but sufficient to richly enhance the flavours of many home cooked dishes.

It’s not hard to understand why a back yard garden is so important for many Italians of my parent’s generation, instilled into my generation and I sense a drizzle of olive oil flowing through the veins of my children as they carry on the tradition.

I'm an avid watcher of  the cooking channel and often glean a few good tips and recipes from watching but sometimes the preparation of some dishes seem overly complicated.  The availability of ingredients from so many different cultures makes it possible to experiment and always come up with something new. 

The question remains, will it endure the test of time as so many old time recipes have?

Nonna’s Potato Salad

potatoes
cucumber
tomatoes
red onion or any other sweet mild onion
olive oil
oregano
salt

1. Cut potatoes into desired size and boil in salted water until tender but still have a bite to them. Cool completely.
2. Cut cucumber and tomatoes into approximate size of potatoes.
3. Thinly slice onions.
4. Combine all ingredients and season with olive oil, oregano and salt. Serve.

Notes Tips and Suggestions

• Yukon Gold potatoes work well in this recipe; if not available the Russet Variety is also a good choice.
• Chives make a good alternative to onions.
• Potatoes can be cooked earlier in the day and left at room temperature then add remaining ingredients before serving.
• Refrigerate leftovers.

Parsley and Garlic Potatoes

I don't make this recipe often enough although it's a perfect change from fried, roasted, mashed or even baked potatoes. Again, it 's the most simple of ingredients coming together for a wonderful taste experience. 

Each time I make it I’m reminded of a grandfather that I never really got to know. He was my maternal grandfather and since our family immigrated to Canada when I was only two years of age the only recollection of him is from a summer vacation to Italy during my teenage years.

By that time he was quite ill which made it difficult for us to get to know each other.  I don’t remember ever hearing his voice during our two month stay.  Being a very quiet, reserved man made it impossible to really know what he was all about.

At this point you may be wondering how this all connects to the recipe for Parsley and Garlic Potatoes.

Now and then we enjoyed this dish while living at home and I remember my mother once telling me that this was one of my grandfather’s favourite dishes.

The unbelievable connection of food and memories and the wonderfully interesting ways it has of winding through our lives!

Each time I make this somehow connects me to my grandfather.  Though I never really got to know him, I find pleasure in thinking how much he enjoyed this potato dish.

While food is an essential component for physical survival,  it certainly does wonders for nourishing the soul! 


Parsley and Garlic Potatoes
potatoes
olive oil
fresh, chopped Italian parsley
garlic
salt to taste

1. Peel and cut potatoes into chunks (cut in the size that you prefer)
2. Boil in salted water until cooked through but still have a bite to them.
3. Drain and place into a bowl
4. Add olive oil to potatoes while still warm as they seem to absorb the olive oil more readily.
5. Add garlic and chopped parsley then season with additional salt if needed taking into account that you have already salted the potatoes while cooking them.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• So very few ingredients come together in this dish therefore every ingredient has to be the best it can be. I used the first parsley leaves picked from my herb garden and the flavour was amazing.
• It goes without saying that the olive oil should be the best you can afford and be easy on the garlic, a hint of garlic goes a long way and better tasted than seen so put it through a press or smash it to a pulp before adding it.
• Whenever possible use Yukon Gold potatoes for their superior taste and texture.
• I cut the potatoes in large chunks, first because my mother always did and secondly my husband prefers his favourite vegetable this way.  I have however seen it prepared in smaller, approximately one inch pieces which works great and tastes just as good..

Cucumber and Radish Salad

When making this salad for the first time I was unaware that a number of recipes already existed.

I just happened to have a bunch of radishes and a few mini cucumbers in the fridge and the fact that both had similar diameters and a good crunch to them inspired the combination of the two into a salad that we have enjoyed for years.

The dressing is our all time favourite, simple vinaigrette that has enhanced the taste of a variety of delicious salads time and time again.

Surprisingly I eventually discovered numerous similar recipes which included various different ingredients ranging from feta cheese to shredded carrots.  None of the recipes I have come across use oregano which seems to be to be the perfect choice in keeping the salad very simple.

I believe the addition of oregano was inspired by a simple little radish dish made by my mother on occasion instead of the usual salad.

She would place some olive oil in a shallow dish and season it with salt, pepper and dried oregano. This simple mixture did wonders for the fresh sweet radishes that would take a dip or double dip into the delicious pool.  If the radish leaves were tender enough they would continue to be dipped until there was nothing left. (unfortunately this choice of words is reminding me of the ever growing bunny family which is still doing a job on my perennials!)

As a child I don’t remember if I really liked radishes but it was all about the fun of dipping into the olive oil which made it delicious and memorable.  Similar small shallow dishes of olive oil and balsamic vinegar come to mind that are sometimes served in restaurants to keep everyone busy while waiting for the main.  It’s the bread that takes the dip in this case and is equally delicious.

Cucumber and radish salad has a wonderful fresh crunch to it and can be easily enjoyed most anytime since these vegetables are available in the grocery stores year round.  Of course making it in the winter months doesn’t compare to the taste experience of making it with the summer harvest from the garden or farmer’s markets. All the same it’s a welcomed change in the winter from the every day leafy salad.

Red, white and green… again a winning colour combination.


Radish and Cucumber Salad

any variety of fresh cucumber
fresh red radishes (preferably purchase the kind with the stems and leaves still attached)
olive oil wine vinegar vinaigrette
freshly cracked black pepper
salt
oregano

1. Slice radishes and cucumber into a bowl
2. Dress with vinaigrette.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

My Inspiration

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Use any variety of cucumbers and cut to approximate size of sliced radishes.
• If cucumber peel is tender, do not remove, it adds colour and nutrients to the salad.
• Although dried oregano is usually the choice, finely chopped fresh oregano can be substituted.

Caprese Salad

I’m beginning to sense a patriotic theme in these salads and antipasto recipes or could it just be that the colours red, white and green really taste good together?

Caprese Salad named for the island of Capri is beyond easy to make but the combination of ingredients are beyond delicious.

The simplicity of soft mozzarella cheese and sweet ripe tomatoes drizzled with some good quality olive oil, cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt elevate this dish to a pricey appetizer choice on restaurant menus.  The star ingredient however is the fragrant leafy basil, especially when it’s in season.

I’ve always planted basil in our summer garden, usually the Genovese variety for salads and pasta dishes and the tiny leaf, Globe variety for drying at the end of the season and enjoying during the winter months.

This year I've expanded my horizons to also include the planting of Lemon, Cinnamon, Leaf Lettuce and Purple Basil.  I'm already looking for new recipes that use Lemon and Cinnamon basil as I’m not sure how they might be utilized.

There are six varieties of basil in my garden and am hoping that Mr. and Mrs. Cottontail and family don’t take a liking to any of them. The rabbit family is the lesser of my problems right now since the bugs seem to share my love for Genovese Basil and I’ve had to transplant it into pots before it is totally devoured by the little critters.

The plating of this salad doesn’t always have to look so formal.  A bowl of cherry or grape tomatoes tossed  with cocktail bocconcini and dressed with the same combination of olive oil, salt, pepper and plenty of basil is even easier to prepare.

With so few ingredients required, the quality of these ingredients really counts.

Caprese Salad
tomatoes
soft, mozzarella cheese
olive oil
salt
pepper
basil

1. Layer tomatoes and cheese overlapping a little, tuck in some basil and drizzle with olive oil.
2. Add salt and black cracked pepper to taste.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Choose fresh mozzarella cheese and tomatoes that are a similar size if you wish to layer.
• If using large slices of tomato you may want to use Fiore di Latte or Mozzarina which are larger balls of the same unripened semi-soft cheese as bocconcini.  Bocconcini simply means bite-size.

Mediterranean Salad

We love this time of year.  The planter instinct revives in us and off we go to the nursery to choose plants that will eventually satisfy that craving for something that we have actually grown and harvested with our very own hands.

The vegetable garden at our previous house was never very big but the one in our backyard now is even smaller. Our tomato field measures nine feet square and boasts twelve Big Boy variety tomato plants and  the previously existing flower bed has now been converted into a tidy little herb garden.

Fourteen little cucumber plants grow close to our deck looking up towards the railing where they will soon wrap their little tentacles and hold on tightly eventually bearing the weight of their fruit.

Permission was granted by the tomato plants for some arugula seeds to be planted in their space and four hot pepper plants sit in a small pot since they didn’t fit anywhere else and probably wouldn’t get along with the tomatoes anyway.

One morning we discovered a potential threat to our little garden when noticing the missing leaves on some of our perennial flower plants .
We have since been warned by the neighbours that the resident bunny loves to eat perennials and just about anything else that is green.

I met the little culprit one morning and had he been wearing a little blue jacket would certainly have mistaken him for Peter Rabbit. I’ve also met its twins (or one set of its twins), each hardly bigger than a baseball but the sweetest little creatures I have ever seen.

It’s hard to be angry with them but they have been causing me to experience nightmares in which my herb garden had been totally devoured.  Every morning at daylight I peer over the deck to check and assure myself that it was indeed only a bad dream.

Soon we will enjoy summer salads and an abundance of vegetables from gardens and local farmer's markets. This is the best reason I can think of for enjoying an extra salad or two. 

As the finale to a large meal, the main for a light lunch or side to a delicious barbequed steak or burger we all have our favourite salads .
In the next few posts I will share some of our favourites which may also be yours!


Mediterranean Salad

I honestly didn’t know what to call this salad.  The first time I put a similar one together I needed to make a green salad that was more substantial than just salad greens. Having some antipasto ingredients left over it seemed a good idea to add them into the romaine salad I was making.
Since several ingredients are associated with Mediterranean cuisine I decided to call it just that, Mediterranean Salad.  I think I've added yet one more Mediterranean Salad recipe to the hundreds already in existence.
A light wine vinegar and olive oil vinaigrette like the one I use on grilled vegetables enhances the flavours of ingredients without overpowering them.
This salad makes a great lunch or accompaniment to a light dinner.

romaine lettuce
cherry tomatoes
pitted Kalamata olives
cocktail bocconcini
chives
salt to taste, pepper optional
wine vinegar and olive oil dressing

1. Roughly chop washed and thoroughly dry romaine lettuce.
2. Slice cherry tomatoes in half or if using larger tomatoes in bite size pieces
3. Cut cocktail bocconcini in half, this will ensure that they will be more evenly dispersed in the salad
4. Finely chop chives. (thin slices of sweet onion will also work.)
5. Mix all ingredients together and dress with vinaigrette just before serving.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Mix in some arugula or any other favourite lettuce with romaine for a variation.
• Replace Kalamata olives with your favourite variety.
• Try adding some marinated artichoke hearts to the salad.
• Replace bocconcini with Greek Feta Cheese.