"When I tell you something is dangerous, I mean it. And, I never forget the Victims"
T.J. Hooker
"Everyone can master a Grief but he who has it”
William Shakespeare
”I had given him a life not worth living, but I had also given him an iron will to live. This was a common combination on the planet Earth”
Kurt Vonnegut about his character, Kilgore Trout.

Friday, November 11, 2011

My Grandmother's Potato Salad, Midwestern Style

Pina asked for my grandma's potato salad recipe.  This makes a lot, like for sharing at a picnic for ten or more people.

Grandma Leila's Midwestern Style potato salad

Start with 8 -9  large red or same amount of medium sized white rose potatoes, steamed, cooled and peeled - I like the reds best.  Steaming works best though my grandmother and mother boiled the potatoes.  I just use my biggest pot and a little silver steamer basket, artistically layering the potatoes on top so they don't fall off.  Skewer to see if they are done in about 35-40 minutes.  Don't let the steamer go dry.
Test them with a meat skewer.  It will pass through the potato without a sticking place in the middle.  ( I cook mine the night before and let them cool til morning on the counter) 

While the potatoes cook and cool, chop and measure out the following amounts of other ingredients:

One and half cups of chopped celery
One and half cups of chopped red or white mild onions.
Rounded half cup of chopped sweet gerkins
Rounded half a cup of chopped dill pickle

Set aside.

Dressing:

Mix  one and a half cups of mayonnaise with a teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, teaspoon of celery seeds, and a some sweet pickle juice to thin it all down some.

Cut the thoroughly cooled and peeled potatoes into cubes about as big as the end of your thumb -less than an inch, more than a half- the "rule of thumb")  and put all this into a big bowl, layering with the rest of the chopped stuff a couple of times, and some of the dressing, as you go.

Mix gently but thoroughly.

Simple and delicious.  Keep it cold once you make it.  Carry in a ice cooler if it's traveling.  Enjoy!

*Notes*


I use my big tupperware cake keeper dome top to put it all in, since I never carry cakes in it, and it has a lid that seals completely.  But anything you have that you guess this all will fit into will work.  

If you like hard boiled egg chopped into this,  peel three hard boiled eggs and chop and layer those in as you go.  One egg can be saved, and sliced to decorate the finished salad, and you can sprinkle a little paprika across the top for color, just NO chili powder.  hehe

Leg update:

My leg is much better but getting a little stiff.  I need to tuck it under me more at the computer. lol


I want to thank everyone for their encouragement and advice.  It's working!  I start the rest of PT on Monday.

We are going to maybe get more rain.  My Christmas cactus has put forth ONE precious blossom.  I am stoked!

Laters!




2 comments:

  1. Love the recipe and notes. Thanks for sharing with us!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're welcome, anytime, FUZZARELLY.

    I found the Hershey Bar Pie she used to make up on the web, too. It's at Cooks.com. The web is so fun!

    ReplyDelete

I’m going through some stuff but I will peek in now and then and will be back when it’s over..