Greek Potato Salad
For picnics, large gatherings or just a spring family meal, you can’t beat potato salad as the most versatile side dish imaginable.
In fact, my friend and former food editor Debbie Moose of Raleigh, NC wrote a whole book on the flexible side salad. Today’s recipe for Greek Potato Salad is from her 2009 cookbook, Potato Salad: 65 Recipes from Classic to Cool. It’s several steps beyond a traditional potato with a mayonnaise or sour cream base. This recipe lets the fruitiness of a quality olive oil shine through tart and creamy, with the bite of feta cheese. Kalamata olives are easy to find with pits intact, but this recipe goes together quicker if you can locate the pitted variety.
It has become a favorite of mine and is perfect served at room temperature. I hope you enjoy it for your picnics, gatherings and simple dinners as much as I do.
Greek Potato Salad
From: author Debbie Moose: Potato Salad: 65 Recipes from Classic to Cool (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009)
Start to finish: about 4 hours, mostly unattended marinating
Serves 8
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/3 cup pitted, chopped Kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Place potatoes in a large pot, add enough water to cover them, cover pot with a lid, and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are pierced easily with the tip of a sharp knife, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool until you can handle them but they are still warm. Peel and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks.
In a large bowl, stir together olive oil, white wine vinegar, oregano, parsley, olives, celery, onion, salt and black pepper. Whisk until well combined. Add potatoes and feta cheese and toss to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature 2 or 3 hours, or refrigerate for several hours to overnight. Serve at room temperature.
Approximate Values Per Serving: 222 calories, 12.5g fat (3.5 g saturated), 12.5mg cholesterol, 5g protein, 22g carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 363mg sodium
(Alicia Ross is the co-author of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap. Fast. Good!" (Workman, 2006).
