Potluck Potato Salad

I recently had an unexpected day by myself at home after returning from the American Cheese Society Conference in Raleigh, NC. What do I do when I I’ve got no plans and a sunny day alone ahead of me?

I cook!

I did a little recipe research and then hustled to the market for ingredients and further inspiration. Back in my kitchen in no time, it was like my own culinary amusement park. It wasn’t too long before a friend of mine dropped by to hang out and help me out, and by dinner time my house had inadvertently become the scene of a spontaneous and sizable dinner party. Hosting a bunch of dear friends after a day in the kitchen is just about the best day I can think of (second only to a similar day that includes my family).

I figure a lot of people are enjoying summer evening dinner parties right now with their friends and family, so today’s recipe is a twist on the potluck classic, potato salad. Rather than sopping with mayonnaise, this one is vinaigrette-based and features the red cabbage peperonata that you may recognize from one of my previous posts. The potato salad went great with an all-beef burger that we served at Bennett’s a few days later along with some other specials inspired by that dinner party.

Late Summer Potato Salad
(Yield about 12 servings)

5 pounds red potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces, skin on

1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup  olive oil
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound peperonata
1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2-1/2 ears)
1/2 cup shredded Flagship cheese
3 green onion tops sliced very thinly

Cook the potatoes in salted, boiling water about 10 minutes or until not quite tender. 

Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper together until evenly mixed. In a large bowl, gently combine the cooked potatoes and dressing.  Refrigerate until cool.

Before serving, fold in the peperonata, corn, cheese and green onions until well mixed.

Enjoy! 

Red Cabbage Peperonata

With all the cooking I get to do both at home and at work, it’s no surprise that a lot of my guy friends are great cooks too. Let’s just say our football parties are often a celebration of more than one type of pig skin. We’re always trying to outdo ourselves from one week to the next, borrowing ideas from each other and trying to improve on them.  Recently, one of my friends brought an amazing sautéed pepper dish and I was so inspired by it that I built off of it to make a special for Bennett’s.

Red Cabbage Peperonata
Makes 4 servings

1/2 lb  mini sweet peppers

1/2 lb red cabbage
6 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch black pepper

De-stem and de-seed the peppers and rough chop them on a bias.  Chop the red cabbage in roughly the same size as the peppers. Sweet pepper size may vary, so make sure you have about the same amount of chopped red cabbage by volume as you do of the chopped peppers.

Over high heat, heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan until it is smoking. Add the peppers and toss once to coat with the oil, then let sit until they start to brown.  Toss once more and let sit again approximately one minute. Add the cabbage. Toss again and cook until cabbage is browning.

Add the remaining oil, vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano and toss again. Cook for approximately one minute, remove from heat and finish with the salt and pepper. Serve immediately or store for later use.

  
One of the great things about peppers is their versatility. They are such great complements to so many different ingredients that I often have a hard time narrowing down what I want to serve with them! At Bennett’s, we served it with a simple and succulent petite filet and some creamed corn. What will you serve it with? Let me know in the comments!