Roasted Potato Salad with Mustard-Walnut Vinaigrette

Okay, I admit this is a terrible photo, but frankly, this salad smelled so fantastic,
we couldn't wait to eat it, so I didn't take any time to take a decent picture.

Serves 6 to 8

Recipe from Food52.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Well, now, this picnic potato salad just wowed me.  It’s mustardy and garlicky and crunchy with walnuts with no gloppy mayo dressing.  It can be and should be served at room temperature.  There’s no boiling of potatoes, which I appreciate because I find it difficult to cook potatoes perfectly for a salad.  The fresh basil added at the last is a very nice touch, but the salad would even taste great when fresh basil isn’t in season.  Keep this vinaigrette recipe on hand for other summer salads, too. By the way, this was a Best Picnic Recipe Contest Winner on the Food52 website!

Salad

            4
 pounds small new potatoes

            1
 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

            1
 bunch fresh basil, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

            1
 bunch scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced crosswise

Vinaigrette

            2
 cloves garlic, peeled

            1
 Tablespoon whole-grain mustard

            1
 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

            2
 Tablespoons lemon juice

            1
 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

            2
 Tablespoons roasted walnut oil

            1/4
 cup extra-virgin olive oil

            Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425° F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Wash and dry potatoes, then spread evenly between baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, then roast, shaking the pans occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browning (about 45 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes).

Meanwhile, prepare vinaigrette. Place garlic cloves on a cutting board, sprinkle with a generous couple pinches of sea salt, and chop and mash with the side of your knife until the clove breaks down into a salty paste.

Add garlic paste to a small bowl along with mustards, lemon juice, and vinegar. Whisk to emulsify. Add olive and walnut oils and whisk vigorously to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional sea salt and pepper.

When potatoes are done, transfer to a large bowl. Add scallions and dressing, and toss to coat. Using the back of a mixing spoon or the end of a wooden spatula, Gently smash some or all of the potatoes to break their skins -- this allows the vinaigrette to better penetrate the starchy goodness.  (You’re not making mashed potatoes, but breaking the potatoes down will allow them to soak up more of the vinaigrette.)  Allow dressed potatoes to sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes to one hour. Just before serving, stir in walnuts and basil.

Doesn't this look scrumptious?  It's perfect for a picnic because
it tastes great at room temperature.

Prep the vinaigrette up to a day in advance.  Slice the scallions
and toast the walnuts in advance too.  

Blue Dog Bakery & Café-Inspired Wheat Berry Salad

Serves 8-10

Husband-Tested Recipe from Alice’s Kitchen

My husband and I recently had a very pleasant lunch at the Blue Dog Bakery & Café in Louisville, KY.  It was a lovely day, so we sat outside on the walk and watched the trains go by.  The meal was fabulous, sharing an incredibly delicious tuna salad, a soup featuring sweet corn and poblano peppers and a fancy summer berry cream tart, but the star of the lunch was the wheat berry salad.  As I ate it, I wrote down all the ingredients I could see and taste.  The waitress did say that it had walnut oil in it.  She also said that they vary the dried fruit.  Ours that day had raisins.  Friends of ours said they’ve had it with currants.  I love dried cranberries, so I used those.  Later on, I made a quick trip to Lost River Market & Deli for some winter wheat berries (from their bulk section) and made what I think is a very close version of Blue Dog’s salad.  It takes a bit of time to make because wheat berries take over an hour to cook, but once the berries are cooked, the salad comes together quickly.  Make this a day before you plan to serve it because it will taste even better the next day.  Perfect for a party or a picnic.

3 cups cooked wheat berries* (About 1 cup raw.)

2 cups (10 ounces) frozen lima beans, cooked per package directions

1/8 cup walnut oil

6 Tablespoons sunflower or canola oil

1/8 cup raspberry wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or currants (Plump the dried fruit in very hot water for about 15 minutes.)

1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

2 cups diced celery

1 shallot, minced or 1 cup sliced scallions

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place the warm, cooked and drained wheat berries in a large bowl. The wheat berries should be soft, but slightly chewy. After draining the lima beans, add them to the wheat berries and toss to combine. Combine walnut oil, sunflower oil and vinegar. Add to the winter berry/lima bean mixture. Toss. When bean mixture has cooled a bit, add the dried fruit, walnuts, celery and shallots. Toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*Cooking Winter Wheat Berries using the Rice Cooker:  Place 1 cup of raw wheat berries in a dry skillet over medium-high heat.  Toast, stirring constantly, until the grains pop and deepen in color, about 4 minutes.  (This step is optional, but I think it adds a nice toasty flavor.)  Place the wheat berries in the rice cooker bowl and cover with hot water; let soak in the machine for 1 hour.  Drain the wheat berries and return them to the rice cooker bowl.  Add 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt; swirl to combine.  Close the cover and set for the regular/Brown Rice cycle.  When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the wheat berries steam for 15 minutes. Fluff with a wooden spoon or rice paddle. (Recipe from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook, also Husband-Tested)  

*Cooking Winter Wheat Berries using the Stovetop:  Add 1 cup of winter wheat berries to a large saucepan filled with enough salted water to cover them by a few inches.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook the wheat berries until they are plump and tender, about 75 to 90 minutes.  Test as you cook; cooked wheat berries are still somewhat chewy.  Drain. (Also Husband-Tested)  

George's of Tybee Mixed Greens Tossed in Honey Vinaigrette

Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Savannah Bee Company Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice and Ellen’s Kitchens

Now that you can get fresh mangoes, peaches or plums at Lost River Market & Deli, you must make this salad. My good buddy, Ellen, made this for me when I visited her last week. Her husband is a die hard meat and potatoes guy and he actually cleaned his salad plate! The original recipe called for twice as much dressing so Ellen gave me the extra dressing so that I could make the salad for my husband when I got home. He said, “This salad has everything in it that I like!” Ellen made it with toasted pine nuts. I had pecans in my fridge, so I used those when I made it. We all agreed that fresh peaches or plums would make good substitutions if mangoes are not available where you live. (I've halved the dressing ingredients for you, but you could easily double the ingredients of this salad for when you have company.)

Vinaigrette:
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons walnut oil

In a blender or food processor combine vinegar, mustard, honey, the 1/8 teaspoon salt, and some fresh ground black pepper. Cover and blend for 30 seconds. With the blender running slowly, add oil in a thin, steady stream. (If necessary, stop blender and scrape down sides.)

Salad:
About 8 cups or so of mixed salad greens
1 mango, seeded, peeled, diced (Peaches or plums would be good substitutes.)
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled (Feta or blue cheese would make a good substitute.)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1 cup pecans, walnuts or ½ cup pine nuts, toasted

In a salad bowl, combine greens, mango, goat cheese, cranberries and nuts. Drizzle with dressing (just enough to very lightly coat the salad) and toss gently. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper