Food Memories – Mom’s Potato Salad

I often equate memories of people I’ve loved and lost with their favorite food or recipes.  When I realized the last salad for the month of May fell on Memorial Day, I thought it would be appropriate to share my Mom’s Potato Salad as a nice reminder of my mother, Mary, who died last year.

My mom made this Potato Salad often and, although it is not like anyone else’s version (no eggs, no celery, no mustard), I love how the tangy flavors of the dressing and the surprising crunch of the cucumbers compliment the potatoes.

I’ve adapted the recipe a bit along the way, as I always do, replacing some of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt and adding thyme for additional flavor.  I have to say, though, that when I took a bite of the finished salad this week, it immediately transported me back to my mother’s kitchen – a lovely place to be on memorial day.

Mom's Potato Salad

This is the potato salad I remember growing up. My mother's recipe was a little different than everyone else's which made me love it all the more. The bright flavor and lovely texture of this delicious salad make it the perfect summer side dish.

Servings 4 people

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 pounds tiny red potatoes or small red potatoes
• 1 medium English cucumber
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup mayonaise
• 2 tsp White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

• Set a large pot of water on the stove and heat to a boil
  
• Wash and cut the potatoes in half (or in quarters if they are larger potatoes)
  
• When the water is boiling, add a pinch of salt and the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are just fork tender - about 5-7 minutes.
  
• Drain the potatoes and run them under cold water for a couple of minutes to stop the cooking. Let them cool slightly while you prepare the rest of the salad
  
• Peel the cucumber and chop it into bite size pieces
  
• Mix 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp vinegar, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a cup or small bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed
  
• Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces and add about half of the dressing
  
• Mix together and add the cucumbers to the potatoes
  
• If you are not serving it immediately, store the salad and the extra dressing in the refrigerator
  
• When ready to serve, taste the salad and add additional dressing, salt and pepper as needed.
  
• Place in a bowl and serve. It's the perfect summer side dish.
  

Course: Salad