Potato Inspiration

A recent trip to the produce market turned up some marvelous little red new potatoes just begging to be made the center attraction. But starch alone isn't a wise menu choice so I added some protein with a couple of hard boiled eggs and a cup of lightly blanched soy beans (edamame).

If you're not familiar with edamame except, perhaps at your favorite sushi bar, these lovely little immature green soybeans are often referred to as the super or wonder vegetable. They're the only vegetable that contains all nine essential amino acids, making them a complete protein, similar to meat and eggs, but with the added bonus of no saturated fat and no cholesterol. On top of that, they taste great. You can find them shelled or unshelled in the frozen food section at the market.

It was a little like overkill to add both eggs and edamame to my little zingy potato dish, but I had two hard boiled eggs in the fridge and decided to add them for the flavor. Once the potatoes were cool enough to handle, after being scrubbed and boiled, I sliced them, then tossed them and the chopped eggs with a little diced sweet onion and a thinly sliced stalk of celery, a minced fresh jalepeño and a few slices of pickled jalepeños.

I whipped up a simple dressing with a teaspoon of dark mustard and 1/2 cup of mayonnaise thinned with a little of the pickled jalepeño juice, then topped the salad off with a sprinkling of minced fresh cilantro.

The added crunch of hearts of romaine provided some greenery along with a fresh crisp taste that complimented the warm potato salad. I've not included quantities. Plan on 4 - 5 little potatoes per person, which is what I cooked for myself and that turned out two generous servings. Increase the ingredients proportionately to the amount of potatoes you cook. The condiments are 'to taste'. Don't forget salt and freshly ground pepper. This is one of those lovely dishes that invites experimentation and will delight you with its versatility.

Fresh young produce at the market and farm stands is certainly a harbinger of spring and offers the promise of months to come of local, fresh from the garden offerings to please our palates and appease our consciences. Buying local is a habit we all should cultivate if future generations are to enjoy the rich rewards we've come to take for granted.

Till next time . . . keep on cooking!