Polish Picnic Potato Salad and Chef Michael Baruch

in Celery, Chef Mike, Eggs, Garlic, Onions, Polish, Potatoes, Radishes, Salads, Side Dish on Monday, April 9, 2012

On July 20^th, in my giveaway, I told you about the wonderful Street Food Chicago cookbook by the northwest side of Chicago native, Chef Michael Baruch.

Now, I want to share with you a recipe from another of his cookbooks, The New Polish Cuisine. Chef Mike is a master of his profession and this cookbook of his demystifies Polish cuisine. He proves that anyone can make simple and delicious Polish American food in a short time using obtainable and healthy foodstuffs. I have a habit of reading cookbooks like a novel with this one hooking me from the very first page!

The New Polish Cuisine is undoubtedly one of the best cookbooks in my collection. It’s actually a cookbook that does what any cookbooks’ intention is: to entice you into the kitchen to start cooking! Chef Mike has a great writing style ~ especially when telling about his humorous experience as an apprentice Polish baker, his excellent writing about mushrooms and his take on meat consumption during the lean times of the medieval ages for Polish folks.

We love potato salad here and I have found the perfect recipe for it that is a wonderful thing for picnics; omitting the classic mayonnaise which doesn’t hold up very well in the hot sun. This is small red potatoes combined with a Polish style garnish of pickles, dill and eggs and are then dressed with a puckery apple cider dressing. That is exactly what I like about this potato salad, “puckery,” not the typical sweet flavor of most cooks’ potato salad!

The New Polish Cuisine is filled with mouthwatering recipes and really exquisite beautiful photographs. It is definitely a cookbook every cook would proud to own! I know I am and I’m not even Polish!

Polish Picnic Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 pounds small red new potatoes, cleaned and halved

1/3 cup olive oil

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¾ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped

4 green onions, white and some of the green part, finely chopped

8 radishes, sliced

1 large dill pickle, finely chopped

4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

2 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

1. Steam the new potatoes in a vegetable steamer placed over 1 inch of hot water for 12 to 15 minutes until tender. Remove to a large mixing bowl and cool slightly.

2. While the potatoes are steaming, combine the olive oil, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic cloves and mix well.

3. In another large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until well blended, then add the dressing and stir slightly with a wooden spoon until well mixed.

4. Arrange the slightly cooled potatoes in one layer, cut side up onto a serving platter, then gently spoon all the mixed dressing onto the potatoes.

This dish is best served at room temperature.

Serves 4

It is a perfect potato salad you must try!

Smacznego!

This entry was posted on Monday, April 9, 2012 at 6:13 AM and is filed under Celery, Chef Mike, Eggs, Garlic, Onions, Polish, Potatoes, Radishes, Salads, Side Dish. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.

Cooking web notes