It's summertime and the perfect time for grilling over charcoal, sitting on the deck and enjoying cool foods. I certainly have my summer menu and winter menus. Summer meals tend to be light, refreshing, and cooler. I have hundreds of cookbooks which I use during different times of the year. Spring and summer bring out my Greek, Lebanese, Mexican, and Mediterranean cookbooks. I found a recipe in one of my Lebanese cookbooks for a potato salad. Being the lemon lover that I am, I had to give it a try. After trying the recipe as is, I decided to change it up. Basically, I left the huge lemony flavoring but changed up the spices and herbs to suit my tastes. I have a tendency to do that with all of my cooking. I rarely leave a recipe "as is" except when baking. Baking is my least favorite part of cooking, but one of my favorites in eating!!! Where would I be without my crusty breads?
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh lemons of course)
1/4 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
zest of one lemon
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. chopped fresh mint
2 green onions, minced
2 or 3 chives, minced
1 tsp. lemon thyme
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp Greek oregano
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes
This recipe is VERY LEMONY.... just the way I like it. You may want to cut the amount of lemon juice in half and see if you want to add more.
You can either boil the potatoes whole, or cut them into chunks prior to boiling. I always add salt to the water to give the potatoes a little flavor as they cook. Cook just until tender. You want them to hold their shape when stirring in the remaining ingredients.
Add the remaining ingredients to a medium bowl and stir until incorporated. Add the mixture to the potatoes after they have been drained, yet still warm. The delicious flavors will be incorporated more into the potato. This is delicious warm with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, or served at room temperature or cold. Delicious for a picnic. It is light and very refreshing with grilled hamburgers, chicken, or fish!
Actually, the potatoes don't have to hold their shape. This makes a great mashed potato salad too!
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