June 2011 Daring Cooks Challenge; Potato Salad

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana! 

Potato Salad!! I LOVE POTATO SALAD.  Something I love about potato salad is that everyone thinks it should be made in a very specific way, and all those ways are quite different, even when they have pretty much the same ingredients.  I usually make potato salad as my mother taught me to make, with a few instances of baked potato salad instead.  (Two very different dishes, might I add).  So this month's challenge pushed me to try a new variation of one of my favorite foods.  

Now this potato salad isn't the prettiest as I used regular (dark) balsamic vinegar, but it tasted fabulous.  I also used green beans from my very own garden which, in my opinion, make this the best potato salad I've ever made.

 

Look at that robust, delicious green bean! 

Green Bean Potato Salad
(I made some slight modifications to the recipe given, and halved it)

• 1 lb red potatoes
• 5 oz green beans, parboiled and chopped
• 1 roasted red pepper, diced
• 1/6 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 cup shredded Parmesan

Scrub potatoes very well, or you may peel them.  Chop into bite size chunks and boil until tender, but not mushy.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, green beans, and diced red pepper.  


In a measuring cup, whisk together oil, vinegar, salt, and Parmesan.  Pour over vegetables and toss to coat.  


Serve warm.