this shit rocks no. 71: mustard lover's 'tater salad! 🥔

And a lil' update in programming!

Next Thursday, June 1st, I’m hosting a pop up dinner at La Cuisine in Venice to kick off the summer months, and I cannot wait!!!! It’s going to be a ~Mediterranean mezze~ vibe, so if you’re in the area, you should most definitely swing by and enjoy a lovely salad, a loaded pita, a sweet lil treat, and wash it all back with a glass (or a few) of Ami Ami. See you there!!!!!

And while we’re on the topic of events and summer and life and things, I have some good and bad news (dun dun DUNNNN).

The bad news is that I’m going to reduce the frequency of this newsletter back to every other Friday. In the words of Gwen Stefani, I’m just a girl. This whole self-employment thing is a constant juggle, and right now, I need a lil’ bit more time for some other projects. This newsletter will always be my baby, though.

The GOOD news is that the recipes will be FREE for the time being. As much as I love MONEY, I am realizing that I really do love seeing you all make my recipes, and I don’t want a paywall to keep you from trying ‘em out.

It does bear repeating that these recipes don’t develop themselves, so if you feel like upgrading to a paid subscription, I would appreciate that very much. If you can’t swing the financial commitment at this time (I understand), other non-monetary ways that you can support me are as follows:

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WELL, ENOUGH OF THAT, DAMMIT. We’re back in our free recipe era, so let’s kick it off with this sure-to-be-star of your Memorial Day weekend spread.

Mustard Lover’s ‘Tater Salad with Warm Scallion Vinaigrette

Serves: 4

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

I wanted to send you all off into the long, holiday weekend with a solid, summer salad to make for any backyard shindig moment. I have nothing against a mayo-based salad, but being the self-proclaimed mustard enthusiast that I am, I wanted to develop a potato salad that relies on the peppery bite of my favorite condiment.

In addition to using whole grain mustard, I decided I wanted to not only double, but triple down on the mustard elements, so I also incorporated toasted mustard seeds and mustard greens. Of course, you can skip the mustard seeds if you don’t have any, and you can sub any sturdy green (kale, chard, etc.) for the mustard greens. That said, this is a salad for mustard lovers, and a true mustard lover would never shy away from MORE mustard.

If you’re going to make this ahead of time, I would recommend waiting until the very last minute to mix the mustard greens into the warmed vinaigrette to preserve a little crunch and their bright green color. Similarly, I would wait to garnish with the fresh herbs and cheese until right before serving.

I’ve had this salad in my fridge for the last couple days, and it’s only been getting better with age, despite the greens wilting and browning. Frankly, I think it’s true to the character of mustard—it may not be the most beautiful condiment to look at, but it sure is the tastiest.

Mustard Lover’s ‘tater Salad With Warm Scallion Vinaigrette

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• 1 ½ pounds baby gold or red potatoes

• Kosher salt, to taste

• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds

• 5 scallions, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• ½ large bunch mustard greens, washed, de-stemmed and chopped

• 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh dill, parsley, and/or chives

• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut or broken into ½-inch pieces or cubes (about ⅓ cup)

1. Add potatoes to a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with 2 inches cold water and season heavily with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, 10-12 minutes. Drain and let cool.

2. Meanwhile, make the warm vinaigrette. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cook until toasted and fragrant (they might splatter and pop!), 2-3 minutes. Add scallions and cook until softened, 2 minutes. 

3. Take the skillet off the heat and add mustard, sherry vinegar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix to combine. Add the mustard greens and toss until just barely wilted. Season with salt and black pepper–it should taste punchy (i.e. MUSTARD-Y), peppery, and acidic.

4. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, break them up into smaller pieces with your hands and add to a large mixing bowl. Dress with the mustard green mixture (it may not seem like there’s enough oil to be a “dressing,” but there’s plenty of fat in there to coat the ‘taters, trust me!) and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Arrange potato salad on a serving platter and top with fresh herbs and Parm. Give it a lil’ drizzle of olive oil for good measure and serve immediately.