This is a minimalist potato salad–a quick recipe I put together with what I had on hand in my kitchen and herb garden. I was inspired by the annual harvest of dill, one of my favorite times of the summer in Iowa. The diced pickle and canned peas will seem a bit odd, but they are essential to the à la russe. You could add two hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced, for a heavier salad.
This version turned out well–and was so good that I decided to post about it to remember the recipe.
Ingredients:
2-3 large potatoes, boiled until just tender, cooled, and diced
1 bunch dill
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch chives
1 small dill pickle
1/2 can canned peas
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
Recipe:
Roughly chop herbs, and finely mince dill pickle, and add to bowl. Add oil, vinegar, mustard, and mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and stir well. Add potatoes, and toss until well incorporated. Add canned peas and gentle toss, adjust seasoning. Can be eaten right away, or left to marinate up to one day.
A note on the Russian version, known as “Оливье,” or Olivier (which is in the header image above, a photo from a restaurant in Saint Petersburg). There are as many recipes for this salad as there are families. It’s a must on special occasions, and the centerpiece of every holiday table. In addition to some differences in the dressing, and the addition of boiled carrots, most recipes call for meat, which in the US is usually ham, but can also be sausage, and sometimes chicken. For an interesting study of the salad and its origins, check out Anna Kushkova’s “At the Center of the Table: The Rise and Fall of the Olivier Salad.”
FoodIowa 