Farmgal's Potato Salad

I have had ample opportunity to work on my 'tater salad recipe this spring.  Birthdays, Easter, all kinds of fun get-togethers to which I have been assigned potato salad each time.  I have made it numerous ways over the years, but there is one variation of the recipe that seems to always be a winner.  It is so easy, so simple, and I think that simple is the key word when it comes to potato salad.  The more complicated I make it, the less everyone likes it. 

I learned the basic potato salad recipe from my mom and grandpa, each did theirs a little different.  What you put in certain dishes kind of becomes your signature in the kitchen, so make it your own.  My grandpa liked big hunks of raw onion.  He would lean over during dinner and ask, "How do you like it?", between tears (from the raw onions), I would nod my head.  Not being one to adopt the raw onions, I have opted for a good amount of sliced green onions.  They are much more mild, but have enough onion flavor to liven up your salad.  My mother puts copious amounts of parsley, paprika and lots of black olives.  I have to say that her presentation is what absolutely sells her salad.  It is so pretty, slices of eggs laid out across the top of the salad.  Being an artist, how could she do any less than a feast for the eyes?  So I tend to make sure that my salad is pretty, lots of color, slices of egg laid on top, a little sprinkle of paprika and fresh parsley. 

This is my version, simple, with a little from each person that taught me how to make this, but enough of my own ideas to call it mine. 

Farmgal's Potato Salad

Backyard Farmgals

Serves approximately 8 to 10 

8 medium/large yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed

1 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise

12 farm fresh eggs, hard boiled, peeled and sliced

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced

1/8 cup fresh italian parsley, roughly chopped

scant 2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

paprika, to taste

In a large pot, place potatoes, skin on, and cover with cold water.  Place lid on pot and bring to a boil.  Boil until potatoes are soft enough to be pierced, about 40 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes.  Drain and cool.  When cool, peel potatoes and slice into large chunks. 

In a large bowl, place potatoes, eggs (reserving some of the best slices for the top), mayonnaise, onions (again reserving a few), olives (reserve a few), parsley (reserve a bit), salt and pepper.  Mix together with your hands, it keeps it from getting to mashed up, you want large chunks of egg and potato, not a big mushed up mess.  Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Place in a bowl carefully, place reserved eggs on top, sprinkle reserved ingredients and top with a sprinkling of paprika.  So pretty, so simple, and sure to please a crowd.  We served our salad with veggie skewers and Creminelli Fine Meats Pesto Sausage (our favorite local sausage/salami guys).  I had to include a photo of the skewers, their colors were absolutely beautiful!