Steamy Potatoes: A Departure

We held our picnic at Fletcher Cove, the only child in attendence being Baby A. Everyone brought their own "sandwich" and we all brought something to share. K had slipped her creation into a brown wax sandwich bag. Nicely crinkled, folded over at the top. I love waxed bags. Someday I'll get some and store candies and cookies and sandwiches in them. We also enjoyed a fine cheese thanks to a gift from another friend K. Caña de Cabra. It is a Spanish goat cheese, in a sliced round. The rind was a tree in shadow. A slice of bûche de Noël from the middle of the log, a grainy gelatin print. M made pesto and brought bread for dipping. I tried a new potato salad recipe in the vein of the picnic. After reading Diary of a French Herb Garden, I have had bay leaves on the mind. This salad smells like bay, rosemary, vinegar. I used a mediocre balsamic. If you have the sherry vinegar, I would suggest this first.

Potato Salad with Rosemary and Capers
Salade de Pommes de Terre aux Câpres et au Romarin
Serves 8

From The Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells

2 lbs small yellow-fleshed potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1 fresh or dry bay leaf
1 t coarse sea salt
1 t extra-virgin olive oil

The Dressing
4 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, and very thinly sliced
Fine sea salt
2 T best-quality sherry vinegar (or substitute balsamic vinegar)
2 T capers in vinegar, drained
3 T finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add the bay leaf, sea salt, oil, and several tablespoons of cold water. Cover and cook over the lowest possible heat, turning from time to time, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and browned in patches, about 25 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing: In a small saucepan, combine 1 T of the olive oil, the onion, and a pinch of salt, and sweat—cook, covered, over low heat until soft but not browned—for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining olive oil, the vinegar, capers, and 2 T of the rosemary. Toss to blend.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them. As soon as they are cool enough to handle (ha . . . love this line), peel them and cut into thin slices, tossing each slice directly into the warm dressing. Toss to thoroughly coat the potatoes with the dressing. Add the remaining tablespoon of rosemary and toss again. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.