Potato Salads “Re-Visited”…If you enjoy potato salads you’re definitely not alone.

All throughout the summer, you can pretty much count on a bowl of potato salad showing up at every backyard barbecue, casual picnic or outdoor get together, and for good reason. Potato salads are one of summer’s great comfort foods.

But there are SO many other unique potato salads to discover. Ones you won’t find in any grocery store and ones that will be the talk of the party.

Let’s talk potatoes for a moment…

Of course the ‘key” ingredient in ANY potato salad are the potatoes. When it comes to which you choose to make a potato salad, you’re best if choosing the type of potato that once its cooked, will hold up to being tossed in a dressing and with other ingredients, without turning into mush.

In the potato world, those potatoes are called the “waxy” type and include red skin potatoes, white potatoes, new potatoes and fingerling potatoes. Idaho and russets are called mealy potatoes and are generally not the best choice for potato salads.

The rest, that is the remaining ingredients and the dressing are all a matter of choice, keeping in mind that certain ingredients just plain go together, like cucumbers and dill or peppers and onions.

Another potato that’s making headlines lately (for all the best reasons) are sweet potatoes. And it’s kind of funny that while you occasionally see roasted sweet potatoes as a garnishment in green salads, you don’t often see them used in straight up potato salads. Well, we’re going to change that, and at the same time, introduce a whole new potato salad flavor for you to enjoy.

It’s very colorful and a wonderful accompaniment to sushi.

Teriyaki Sweet Potato Salad: Serves 4

4 Medium                               Sweet Potatoes, Skin On

½ Cup                                    Bok Choy, Cut in ½” x 1” Pieces

½ Cup                                    Snow (Flat) Pea Pods, Cut in Half

½ Cup                                    Bean Sprouts (Fresh)

¼ Cup                                    Red Onions, Cut in Slivers

¼ Cup                                    Red Bell Pepper, Cut in Slivers

2/3 Cup                                 Teriyaki Glaze / Sauce

¼ Cup                                    Rice Wine Vinegar or Lime Juice

2 TBSP                                   Honey

2 TBSP                                   Sesame Oil

1 tsp                                        Kosher or Sea Salt

½ tsp                                      Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

1 TBSP                                    Black Sesame Seeds (optional)

1. Lightly oil the outside skins of the sweet potatoes and roast them in a 375 F oven until tender (about 45 minutes), then chill, peel off the skins and dice into 1” pieces.
2. Toss the sweet potato pieces with the (raw) vegetables.
3. Whisk together the teriyaki glaze, rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil and optional red pepper flakes.
4. Pour the dressing over the sweet potato and vegetables mixture and toss.
5. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds to garnish.

If you like spicy, if you’re looking for a potato salad with a “kick!” this potato salad will fit the bill and it’s  perfect for just about ANY barbecue fare.

Ragin’ Cajun Potato Salad: Serves 6

2 Lbs                           Baby Red Skin Potatoes, cut in half

¼ Cup                        Salvaggio’s Cajun Seasoning Blend

3 to 4 TBSP               Vegetable Oil

4 Strips                      Bacon, Cut in ½” pieces

1/3 Cup                      Sweet Onion, diced ½”

1 TBSP                        Garlic, Chopped

1/3 Cup                      Colorful Bell Peppers, diced ½”

¼ Cup                       Celery, diced ½ “

2/3 Cup                      Mayonnaise

2 TBSP                       Spicy Brown Mustard

1 TBSP                       Salvaggio’s Cajun Seasoning Blend

1 tsp                            Tabasco

2 tsp                            Kosher or Sea Salt

2 TBSP                       Chopped Parsley

1. Toss halved red skin potatoes in Cajun seasonings and vegetable oil and roast in a 375 F oven for approximately 40 minutes or until tender. Chill.
2. While potatoes are roasting, sauté bacon until crisp then add onions, garlic, bell peppers and celery to the bacon and grease and cook one additional minute only.
3. Reserve bacon, the cooked vegetables and 2 TBSP of the resulting bacon grease and toss with the cooked potatoes while warm. Allow this mixture to cool.
4. Toss potato mixture with the mayonnaise, mustard, Tabasco and salt.
5. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.