Salad with New Potatoes and Pickled Spring Onions

From the Smitten Kitchen

I realized as I was editing photos for this post that they reminded me of something else, and that I’d likely been inadvertently influenced by Heidi Swanson’s Mostly-Not-Potato Salad from her incredible book, Super Natural Everyday. Great minds think alike! Heidi’s version is a bit different, including tofu, celery, cucumber, green beans, chive and dill, but I love that it also gives a the classic potato salad a makeover, and reprioritizing. I could imagine delighting in them both all summer.

Ingredients

2 pounds small new or fingerling potatoes (I used a mix of reds and yukon golds)
1 pound asparagus
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, green beans or other spring pea
4 small-to-medium radishes, thinly sliced

Pickled spring onions
3 spring onions (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond brand; use less if you’re using Morton or table salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Sharp mustard vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (both Roland and Maille make a whole seed one I’m tremendously fond of)
2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with one inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tip of a knife easily pierces through a potato. Drain the potatoes and let them cool until they’re almost room temperature. You can hasten this by covering them with cold water, and replacing the water a few times as it warms up.

Meanwhile, pickle your spring onions. Whisk vinegar, water, salt and sugar together in the bottom of a small container with a lid until the salt and sugar dissolve. Slice the bulbs and paler green parts into very thin coins and submerge them in the vinegar mixture. Cover and put in fridge until you’re ready to use them; if you can put them aside for an hour or even overnight, even better. Reserve the onion greens.

Refill the saucepan you used for the potatoes (here’s to fewer dishes!) with salted water and bring it to a boil. Prepare an ice bath, a large bowl with ice and water in it. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus. One minute later, add the sugar snap peas. Two minutes later, drain both together then dump them in the ice bath until chilled. Drain the vegetables and spread them out on towel to absorb excess water.

Slice the cooked asparagus spears and sugar snaps into 1/2-inch segments and place them in a large bowl. Chop potatoes into moderate-sized chunks and add them to the bowl. Cut the radishes as thinly as possible, with a mandoline if you have one. If they’re especially big (mine were), you can first quarter them lengthwise. Cut some of the reserved onion greens into thin slivers (no need to use all of them, as the onion flavor might take over) and add them to the bowl.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, or an hour or two in advance, whisk the dressing ingredients and toss it with the vegetables, to taste. (You may find you don’t want to use all of it.) Stir in as many pickled onion coins as you please, save the rest for anything and everything. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, o taste. Eat and enjoy!.

Do ahead: Pickles can be started in the day or days before. Potatoes can be boiled and chilled in fridge overnight, as can other vegetables. Vinaigrette can be made in advance as well, but I might wait until the last minute to toss it with the vegetables as the vinegar, over a long sitting time, can ever-so-slightly discolor the cut edges of the asparagus and beans.

Salad with New Potatoes and Pickled Spring Onions

From the Smitten Kitchen

I realized as I was editing photos for this post that they reminded me of something else, and that I’d likely been inadvertently influenced by Heidi Swanson’s Mostly-Not-Potato Salad from her incredible book, Super Natural Everyday. Great minds think alike! Heidi’s version is a bit different, including tofu, celery, cucumber, green beans, chive and dill, but I love that it also gives a the classic potato salad a makeover, and reprioritizing. I could imagine delighting in them both all summer.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small new or fingerling potatoes (I used a mix of reds and yukon golds)
• 1 pound asparagus
• 1/4 pound sugar snap peas, green beans or other spring pea
• 4 small-to-medium radishes, thinly sliced

Pickled spring onions

• 3 spring onions (about 6 ounces)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond brand; use less if you’re using Morton or table salt)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Sharp mustard vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (both Roland and Maille make a whole seed one I’m tremendously fond of)
• 2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with one inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tip of a knife easily pierces through a potato. Drain the potatoes and let them cool until they’re almost room temperature. You can hasten this by covering them with cold water, and replacing the water a few times as it warms up.

Meanwhile, pickle your spring onions. Whisk vinegar, water, salt and sugar together in the bottom of a small container with a lid until the salt and sugar dissolve. Slice the bulbs and paler green parts into very thin coins and submerge them in the vinegar mixture. Cover and put in fridge until you’re ready to use them; if you can put them aside for an hour or even overnight, even better. Reserve the onion greens.

Refill the saucepan you used for the potatoes (here’s to fewer dishes!) with salted water and bring it to a boil. Prepare an ice bath, a large bowl with ice and water in it. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus. One minute later, add the sugar snap peas. Two minutes later, drain both together then dump them in the ice bath until chilled. Drain the vegetables and spread them out on towel to absorb excess water.

Slice the cooked asparagus spears and sugar snaps into 1/2-inch segments and place them in a large bowl. Chop potatoes into moderate-sized chunks and add them to the bowl. Cut the radishes as thinly as possible, with a mandoline if you have one. If they’re especially big (mine were), you can first quarter them lengthwise. Cut some of the reserved onion greens into thin slivers (no need to use all of them, as the onion flavor might take over) and add them to the bowl.

When you’re ready to serve the salad, or an hour or two in advance, whisk the dressing ingredients and toss it with the vegetables, to taste. (You may find you don’t want to use all of it.) Stir in as many pickled onion coins as you please, save the rest for anything and everything. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, o taste. Eat and enjoy!.

Do ahead: Pickles can be started in the day or days before. Potatoes can be boiled and chilled in fridge overnight, as can other vegetables. Vinaigrette can be made in advance as well, but I might wait until the last minute to toss it with the vegetables as the vinegar, over a long sitting time, can ever-so-slightly discolor the cut edges of the asparagus and beans.

Sugar Snap Pea and Radish Salad

From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 pound sugar snap peas, ends trimmed, and halved crosswise if desired
• 4 radishes, sliced paper-thin
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Place sugar snap peas, radishes, lemon zest, lemon juice, and oil in a serving bowl.

2. Toss well. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Kale Tabbouleh

From NY Times

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup fine bulgur
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves finely chopped (5 cups)
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup torn mint leaves
• 1/2 cup diced radish
• Black pepper, as needed

Directions

Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Cool.  In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, shallot, cumin and salt. Whisk in olive oil.  In a large bowl, toss together bulgur, kale, tomatoes, mint and radish. Toss in dressing. Season with black pepper and more salt if you like, and drizzle with additional oil if desired. 4 to 6 serving. 

Yellow Wax Bean and Radish Salad with Cannellinis

In a large saucepan, cover the drained cannellini beans with 2 inches of water. Add the yellow onion, carrot and celery and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cannellinis are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Drain the cannellinis and discard the onion, carrot and celery.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the wax beans to the saucepan and cook until just tender, 3 minutes. Drain the beans and chill them quickly in the ice water. Drain and pat dry.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil with the vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the cannellini beans with the wax beans, radishes, red onion and basil. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with salt and black pepper and serve right away.