Amanda Hesser's Potato Salad with Green Sauce

Enough of this huggy-bear, kissy-face, I-love-my-home-wah-wah business. Let's get down to brass tacks, to the whole point this blog was started in the first place, after all, to the very reason you probably show up here week after week, shall we?

Pure (sort of), unadulterated (um, mostly) criticism. Yes?

I dug up this recipe the other day, one by Amanda Hesser that she had accompanying some article on indispensable kitchen tools way back in 2003 (I think.) (If I remember correctly, they included the Microplane zester and a vegetable peeler. I can't, for the life of me, remember what the third one was. A mortar and pestle? A can opener? Who knows.) This recipe for boiled potatoes dressed with an herb oil was meant to showcase the cunning skills of that vegetable peeler, because you were supposed to shave ricotta salata over the whole thing using said peeler and then serve it up.

Well, in theory that sounded pretty good. Creamy little potatoes, an herbal sauce, some bits of cheese flung here and there, fine. Except, when you actually start to think about it, it's a little strange. That herb oil is pretty one-sided, to begin with. (There's a reason pesto includes garlic and pine nuts and Parmigiano.) You try whizzing together those herbs with the oil and salt, then stick your finger into the green abyss and taste it - tell me if it doesn't taste almost a little... metallic a-a-and flat and harsh, even. Can you imagine, second of all, then, adding ricotta salata, which is purposefully rather bland and a little flat (and goes so well with certain things, except not really this sort of thing)? I couldn't at all.

Since the green oil reminded me of that most glorious of sauces, the salsa verde, I plucked my jar of salted capers from the fridge, added a spoonful or two of them to the sauce (after a wee bit of soaking, natch) and continued with the whizzing. The briny capers mellowed everything out, paradoxically, but I couldn't help it, it needed something more. So I unscrewed the top to my bottle of champagne vinegar and added a splash or two of that as well.

Suddenly, things started looking up. The potatoes, boiled and cooling in their sink-nest, got sliced up into chunks and then dressed with their green, vibrant cloak: herbal and fragrant, with the barest hint of sharpness. I left the cheese out, as I think you should, too, and let the potatoes to soak in their sauce for a while longer before serving them.

This new salad? A fine little dish. A lightened version of potato salad, for those mayo-haters out there (hello! and welcome. you're in good company), a springy way to eat your spuds when boiling them in their jackets and serving them with a pat of butter and a shower of chopped parsley isn't enough. Which, actually, leads me to my next question. When is something that simple and sublime not enough?

So on second thought, even with my changes, this just isn't all that truly special. If you've got good potatoes around, don't drown them in something that will mask their true flavor. Just boil them up straight, and serve them plainly (butter and parsley aren't essential, but they certainly can't hurt). Eat your green sauce on other things, like fish and meat, and leave the potatoes naked and happy.

Potato Salad with Green Sauce
Serves 4

2 pounds fingerling potatoes, or Yukon Gold
Sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
3 tablespoons sliced chives
(1-2 tablespoon salt-cured capers, rinsed)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
(1-2 tablespoons champagne vinegar, to taste)

1. Peel potatoes (or don't). Rinse and spread in base of a large pan. Cover with water, seasoned generously with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just cooked through, but not squishy, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, drop mint, basil, chives (and capers) into a food processor with a pinch of salt. With motor running, begin pouring olive oil through feed tube. Process about 1 minute, to a bright green puree.

3. Slice potatoes into chunks and pour over the green oil, seasoning with a few grinds of pepper. Add vinegar and fold together so potatoes are well-dressed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Comments

[Leah]

Oh, I know. We come here for the food. But I was really enjoying all the mushy woo-woo home-sweet-home stuff. I'm such a sucker for love and happiness.

Also potatoes. And butter.

[ann]

you know, you are 100% correct about the 'taters except for, as you pointed out, cloaking them in romesco sauce. deeeeeeelishus!

[Adina]

In case you were still wondering, I looked up that article, and the third item was the Silpat.

[Mercedes]

Oh, Luisa, you're moving to fast for me. First, I had planned to write this wonderful response to your fabulous post about kitchen linens and nice plates and steak salad. And how I craved real napkins and pretty serving forks when everyone else my age was into clubs and mixed cocktails and not doing their dishes (ahem, former roomies).
Then, I was going to write about those fab braised romano beans and the pop of candy like cherry tomatoes, which I've also been enjoying from my pots of sweet 100 tomatoes, which have to be the best things ever. But now, you've already moved on, back to the criticism I love you for.
I hope you'll forgive me, seeing as how I drowning in ice cream.
:-)

[Lydia]

It's nice to know that every now and then, even Amanda Hesser creates a recipe that's just alright -- just like the rest of us!

[dan]

Hey, I just have to say, I was linked here from ruhlman's blog and I am going to unsubscribe... the recipes/info is good enough, its just the photography is kind of disgusting. Hate to be so harsh about it, but after looking through your archives, pretty much everything is unappetizing. Everything looks kind of slathered in oil, or saliva, or whatever, maybe its the unnecessary extreme close up that Ive seen on so many other blogs but, its just kind of gross. best of luck.

[Tea]

I too was loving the happy homemaking; but back to the food, shall we?

I like my potatoes naked and happy, but this post made me think of chimichurri sauce on potatoes, which I think would be divine (but then I think chimichurri on anything would be divine).

Now I'm getting hungry...

[Honeybee]

I loved the I-love-my-home-business, too! The Boyfriend and I are looking for a new apartment in another town and you describe exactly how I hope we will feel by december. So bring it on! (Together with the yummy recipes, of course).

[km]

I love it all, Luisa. Great post. Ben has a thing about anchovies, right? I kept thinking that this might be a good secret ingredient to add as well.

oh and Dan, you should unsubscribe.

[Kevin]

Yes, Dan. Please unsubscribe. And forward your blog's url, so we all know what standard of great blog photography we should be holding ourselves to.

[dan]

Sure, below are some links for the un-educated as to what would be considered by a majority of people to be appetizing food photography:

http://cupcakeblog.com/index.php
http://www.elise.com/recipes/
http://smittenkitchen.com/
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/
http://orangette.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you'd like more.

[Kevin]

I feel that if you’re going to put down someone else’s creative project in an extremely rude fashion, you should at least be able to live up to your own expectations. I was being lippy and asked for your own url. My bad. Thank you for teaching me to not engage negative commentors in the future.

[radish]

How sad I feel for those laced with enough bile to post negative, vitriolic comments. Louisa - that potato salad sounds dreamy, but then again, I have often waxed poetic on things spud-related!

[david]

Actually, I like things coated in saliva.

But perhaps that's just me.

After all, I lived in San Francisco for 20 years.

[dan]

nice photos on your blog radish. I suppose if I were to be vitriolic and bile filled I'd say something like:
Great, just what we need, another food blog!

Kevin, I didn't find your post lippy at all.

Why do people have such a field day when someone posts something even remotely negative on blogs. Kind of pathetic, don't you think? Isn't that the point of having an open forum where posts are allowed? Or are we supposed to just be all nice and rosy and pretend bad photography doesn't exist. No offense Luisa.

[Mary]

It amazes me that people expect all food blogs to be magazine quality in every aspect. I am really happy to come to this site every single time there is a new post and read your lovely writing, Luisa. The proof is in the pudding because I bet I've made more recipes from this site than from any other: the braised fennel from this winter that I was so proud to put on my table at Easter, the recent braised zucchini, the brownies, the apricot tart, and the crostata! I know I'm not the only person who'll keep coming back for more.

One more thing: It makes me hopping mad to see you getting bashed like this just when the pictures on this site have been getting really good. Better light in your apartment is surely helping. I've enjoyed seeing you develop and adapt it. You've been a really good role model.

[Bobbie]

I'm surprised that someone would object to your photos, Luisa. I actually like that they look like real food in a real person's real kitchen -- rather than like something styled for a glossy magazine shoot. Also, for me the photos are secondary; I visit your blog for your good recipes, your taste in food and life, and your very appealing and thoughtful writing.

[Anne]

Those potatoes look and sound delish. Good call on doctoring the herb sauce. And I'm SO not tired of hearing about how much you love your new digs. You deserve it after a stressful few months.

By the way, if a poster says he's unsubscribing, then WHY does he keep responding again and again in the comments section? Unsubscribe already! Shoo! Shoo!

[claudia]

on my list of things to make - and very soon. wonderful... i love your blog and the pics. oh and dan? you're an a-hole...

[Hillary]

Thanks for reminding us all why we're still here!

[Jen]

I'm a long time lurker...but I just wanted to say that I really love your blog Luisa. You've got a great voice and you are a fantastic writer. Because of your site, I've tried those cranberry- cornmeal pancakes (with blueberries!--delicious), the leek, mushroom, and goat cheese tart and the romesco potatoes and they were all fantastic. I just wanted to say that one of the things that I really love about your site is that it is clearly geared towards the home cook. Nothing too fancy, but everything is tasty and lovely!!!

[Erik]

Luisa, do you make ever make the Frankfurt green sauce?

[Larry]

Luisa,
I certainly hope Dan slept well after his comments - I certainly hope it made him feel better and did not have much effect on you or Ben.
Your blog is not a photographic contest - I doubt he took time to read some of text that makes many of us smile. I too am a daily reader and wonder what prompts someone to act like that - but I just stopped at a rest stop on the Interstate and somebody dumped their garbage in the parking area - wonder if Dan was on the road?

[John]

this is the original recipe that ran in the NY Times:

Potato Salad with Shaved Ricotta and Green Sauce

2 lbs. fingerling potatoes, or Yukon Gold
sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
3 Tbsp. sliced chives
1–2 Tbsp. salt-cured capers, rinsed
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar, to taste
1/4 lb. ricotta salata, approximately

Peel potatoes (or don't). Rinse and spread in base of a large pan. Cover with water, seasoned generously with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just cooked through, but not squishy, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Let cool.

Meanwhile, drop mint, basil, chives (and capers) into a food processor with a pinch of salt. With motor running, begin pouring olive oil through feed tube. Process about 1 minute, to a bright green purée.

Slice potatoes into chunks the size of dice, and put on a serving platter. Pour over the green herb oil, and season with a few grinds of pepper. Add vinegar and gently fold together so potatoes are well-dressed. Peel thin, wide shavings of ricotta over the potatoes, about 1/2 cup. A light covering, as with pasta, is good. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.