Hello hello…it’s been awhile! The last couple months have been a blur of making good things happen at work (more on that soon) and keeping beyond active toddler occupied, and posting here just hasn’t been a priority. But I’m back now, and I really hope to be back more frequently now that a big project is almost over. And this recipe’s a good one, I promise!
I’ve had these photos in my iPhone since last May when I made it for our Memorial Day barbecue. It’s just a basic potato salad with a little kick…from beets (surprise surprise) and something I don’t use nearly enough in my kitchen: fresh grated horseradish. Here’s the idea behind it: we have this potato salad in my family that’s very basic, with just potatoes, hard-boiled eggs (the yolks get mashed up with Hellmann’s mayonnaise, the whites get chopped), salt and pepper, some celery, and maybe some scallions and green pepper, although those aren’t deal breakers (replacing the mayo would be, if you really want to know). My sister Valya’s always taken the lead on making sure this makes it onto our Easter dinner spread (this year she was pregnant and tired and a few years ago she was away traveling, but all the other years, she did her job). Again, it’s very basic, but it’s kind of a tradition.
Well last year I thought about this other dish that is on our Easter breakfast table that’s a total sleeper hit. It’s this egg mayonnaise (I still have to share the recipe, but above is a photo…basically mashed hard-boiled eggs and just a small amount of mayonnaise) that you put on various meats or bread (or my favorite way, on pashtet). It looks so simple, but it makes everything taste just a little more special. And then right next to that bowl or somewhere nearby is a dish of beet and horseradish relish. Again, pretty humble, but awesome on cured meats, eggs, and pashtet. I am seriously salivating right now as I write this, although I don’t expect the same from you. I’m barely doing this all justice with my writing today.
SO THEN, I got to thinking, wouldn’t a potato salad be lovely with the zip of the beets/horseradish and the egg mayonnaise coming through? I nixed the celery and other vegetables, and opted for just a few chives. That way the flavors that I wanted standing out could be the stars. And then I got to work and here’s the result.
Feel free to play with the proportions. I can’t remember myself how much I used of everything, so if I may, here’s a ‘take a little of this and a little of that’ version of this recipe.
Beet & Potato Salad (serves 6, plus leftovers)
Boil up about two pounds of small new potatoes. In another pot, hard boil four eggs. Cool and slice into the potatoes into halves or quarters (no need to peel them, unless you end up using baking or other potatoes). Meanwhile, take a jar of pickled beets and drain off the juice; chop into little pieces. Peel the eggs and toss the yolks into a bowl, and chop up the egg whites and put them in a bowl with the potatoes. Mash up the yolks and add in a few big dollops of mayonnaise. Stir that up.
Next, grate up some fresh horseradish (a few inches from a root…may seem like a lot, but you may not use it all). I did this by using my hand blender food processor attachment. You can also use prepared horseradish and spare yourself the hassle here, but I love the taste of the fresh stuff much more. Just don’t do what I did and stick your nose in the container just after you’ve grated it. Here I thought I would get a little whiff of deliciousness, and I’m not kidding when I say that it knocked the wind out of me. It reminded me of that stunt the kids do these days with cinnamon.
Now back to the recipe. Spoon by spoon, add the horseradish to the mayonnaise mixture. Do this to taste, and add in a bit of salt and pepper if you’d like. If you like something hotter, add a bit more. Otherwise, you can go light and serve more on the side. Then mix that with the potatoes etc, garnish with the chives, and you’re done! Keep it good and cold before going out on a picnic or serve with hamburgers and hot dogs like we did.
And on that note, from my desk looking out the window to a very grey and rainy street, happy summer! xx.
