Potato Envy

photo by Savannah Naffziger
If I'd been smart, when I started this blog, I wouldn't have made a blog about what I cook. I would have followed my friend Brian around and made a blog called "Delicious Things Brian Has Cooked".
New potatoes are in season, well, probably just about everywhere now. We had a beginning of summer dinner the other week, complete with picnicking on the front lawn which probably drove the neighbors a little crazy. Brian, of course, showed up with a new potato salad which he whipped onto a dish, and then sprinkled with sea salt in that impeccably-presented Brian way. We all oohed and ahhed and then ate and ate, and there were absolutely no leftovers. Definitely a pity, especially since I woke up with a horrible craving for that salad the next day. So I pulled my own new potatoes and mustard out, and improvised my own salad. Not quite as pretty, but just about as delicious.

New Potato Salad with Vinaigrette
I really didn't make many measurements when I made this, so feel free to toy around with the proportions (oh, I bet you've heard that from me before...). Use good quality, well, everything, since the salad is so simple. You'll probably have some leftover vinaigrette, use it on salads or to marinate a softish cheese.

1/2 lb fresh small new potatoes
1/3 c. white wine vinegar
1/3 c. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 sprig (a bit less than one tablespoon, unpacked) fresh rosemary
wholegrain/dijon mustard to taste (I used around 2 tablespoons)
fresh pepper to taste
kosher salt for serving

-Boil water, deposit potatoes, turn heat down to medium. Cook potatoes until a fork goes in easily (10-15 minutes). Drain, put in bowl.
-Combine the rest of the ingredients, except the salt, as the potatoes cook. After draining the potatoes, pour the vinaigrette over potatoes. Gently toss the potatoes or push them around until they're covered. -Sprinkle with kosher salt, serve.

Goddess Dressing

Summer? Almost here. Classes are over, Renn Fayre (our end of year festival) is past, and I've only got two weeks of reading period and finals left. Today I had my first interview for a summer internship, and tomorrow I have another. Yeesh. It's MAY. So it's all really happening, then.
Summer is excellent for many things, like outside concerts and biking along esplanades and developing natural highlights in one's hair and eating green salads. I had some good, pungent arugula tonight, and celebrated being done with classes by making my own salad dressing. I fussed with it a lot, taking advantage of my spare time, but really it's quite simple. It all just goes into the blender whole and comes out smooth and delicious.

Goddess Dressing
I would be sparing with the water. The dressing seemed very thick to me, so I added a bit more water, but I think it made it a little grainy in the end. Add it last, and warily.

- 3 green onions (white and green parts)
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1/3 c. tahini
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 c. water

Deposit everything in blender. Blend until smoothish.