Priming for Father's Day

In anticipation of Sunday and Father's day, my father-in-law called up to arrange a BBQ. Rex's family will bring the burgers. He asked us to bring the side dishes. He asked for deviled eggs (My mother's specialty. Sadly, I do not think I inherited the deviled egg gene from my mother. Maybe Ellie did since they are so alike.) and potato salad. The standard All American potato salad does not do much for me so I am hunting around. I asked Don if he is actually set on having that. Luckily, he is flexible. Here's what I am considering:


Roasted Potato Salad
via the Dogs Breakfast

Serves 4 as a side dish

NOTES We’ve sometimes added bacon or lardons to this salad, or used sliced shallots instead of Vidalia onions. You can also think of adding dill, or chervil, or whatever mild herbs you like, just be sure to use a generous amount of tarragon. The roasted potatoes do not refrigerate well. You can also make this using unpeeled boiled potatoes, it makes a lighter-tasting salad that does keep well in the fridge.

4 pounds of fingerling potatoes
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
about 2/3 C olive oil
a Vidalia onion, halved and sliced
½ C fresh tarragon leaves
½ C Italian parsley leaves
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1. Clean and dry the potatoes. Cut them, unpeeled, into bite-sizes pieces, toss them with olive oil, salt, and a little pepper, and roast them in a 400º oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until golden and crusty on the outside, and soft on the inside.

2. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Pour the vinegar into a salad bowl, and whisk in enough salt to balance the vinegar’s acidity. Add the pepper and mustard, and whisk to combine. Add the olive oil in a thin stream while whisking. Add the Vidalia onions and fresh herbs, and let them macerate in the vinaigrette while the potatoes finish cooking.

3. When the potatoes are done, let them cool for about 20 minutes before adding them to the salad bowl and tossing them gently to coat with the vinaigrette. Let the salad rest for a few minutes before serving so the potatoes can absorb the flavours, then taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.

---------- Or maybe---

That Good Salad
from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 2 heads romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
* 2 cups chopped tomatoes
* 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
* 2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
* 1 cup Caesar salad croutons

Directions

1. In a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper; cover and shake well. Chill. In a bowl, toss romaine, tomatoes, Swiss cheese, almonds if desired, Parmesan cheese and bacon. Shake dressing; pour over salad and toss. Add croutons and serve immediately.

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Grilled Potato, Corn and Bell Pepper Salad
from Ellysaysopa.com
Serves 4-6
print Printer Friendly Recipe

1.5 lbs. small potatoes (I used small redskin)
2 ears corn
2 bell peppers (I used red), cut in half
1 large vidalia or red onion, cut in half or in quarters (thick slices)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
3 Tbsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Grill all the vegetables. Here’s what we did:

Scrub the potatoes and add them (whole) with cold water in a saucepan/pot. Bring to a boil, add some salt, and cook until JUST tender. A fork should be able to go into the potato, but it should still take a little effort. Cool them slightly and then slice them in half lengthwise.

Toss or lightly brush all the vegetables with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Then, start grilling. You’ll want to start the corn first, followed by the peppers and onions. Since the potatoes are pretty much cooked, they can go on last. Grill until there are noticeable char marks on the vegetables and the peppers and onions are tender.

Cut the corn off the ears, and slice the peppers and onions into strips. Combine all of that with the potatoes and the parsley.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together the garlic and the balsamic vinegar. Slowly drizzle the oil in, while continuing to whisk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly toss the vegetables with the dressing.