herby french potato salad
*just in time* for your holiday weekend BBQs
Yesterday was a wildly exciting day around here… our annual potato harvest has officially begun! Potatoes have to be the most fun vegetable to harvest (as long as you don’t mind getting *very* dirty). You’re literally digging for little treasures in the dirt, unearthing these gorgeous, jewel-toned spuds that somehow grew from a tiny seed potato that we plopped in the ground way back in March.
A few potato harvesting notes:
When is it time to harvest your potatoes? After your potatoes go to flower, fairly soon the the leaves and foliage will begin to turn brown and start to die off, which is a good sign that they are ready to be harvested.
Keep in mind that different potato varieties have different “days to maturity” – some varieties are ready in as few as 55-60 days, and others need 100+ days before they should be harvested.
If you’ve harvested a LOT of potatoes and need to store them, it’s best to leave the potatoes dirty (ie don’t wash them) and to initially cure them for 7-10 days in a dark, well-ventilated area with moderate temperatures (60-85F) and high humidity. Once the potatoes have cured, it’s recommended to move them to a cooler spot (with temps around 40-45F) for longer term storage.
We only harvested a fraction of the potatoes yesterday (there are still a ton more in the ground that need a bit more time), but I wasted zero time getting some of those taters from the ground into my kitchen, so I could make a super herby, french-style potato salad for dinner. Keep reading for the full recipe!
In other news, this week marked the final pickup for our 8-week Spring CSA, and I think it was our best box yet. Carrots, beets, sugar snap peas, cabbage, lettuce, etc etc… it felt great to end on an abundant note as we turn our attention to summer.
Speaking of which! There are only FIVE spots left in our Summer CSA, which starts in less than 2 weeks (first pick up on Tues, June 6th). Local friends, get all the details about our Summer CSA + sign up HERE.
PS – CONGRATS Joan Niesen! You are the winner of our May giveaway (which is open to all my fabulous paid subscribers), and you’ll be receiving a brand new copy of one of my new favorite cookbooks, Sweet Enough by Alison Roman, as a thank you for your support. :)
There are two kinds of people in this world – those who love a classic mayo-based potato salad, and those who prefer a french-style potato salad dressed with a punchy, mustard-heavy vinaigrette. And while I love me some mayonnaise (Duke’s, obviously..), I am solidly in the french-style potato salad camp.
So in honor of our freshly dug new potatoes AND the Memorial Day holiday this weekend, today’s recipe is an Herby French Potato Salad… with some sugar snap peas snuck in! You can absolutely ignore the sugar snap peas if that sounds too weird (or too woke?) for you… but I personally love the crunch, hint of sweetness, and pop of color that they add.
Or if you don’t have access to sugar snap peas, but still want some nice crunch/color, then substitute with either green beans or some chopped cucumber. If using green beans, I recommend tossing the raw beans in the pot with the simmering potatoes at the very end of their cooking time… give the beans about 2 minutes to lightly cook, and then drain the potatoes and beans together.
Here are a few more quick pro tips on making a top-notch potato salad:
Make sure to use small, waxy potatoes (other kinds of potatoes will fall apart too easily).
Don’t cut the potatoes before boiling them, as this can make the potatoes waterlogged and soggy.
Make sure the potatoes are still warm (but not scaldingly hot!) when you toss them with the vinaigrette – dressing the potatoes while they are still warm allows the potatoes to really absorb the vinaigrette and develop the best flavor.
Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs!
Regardless of what kind of potato-salad person you are, I hope y’all have a delicious and beautiful weekend ahead. If you make this salad (see below for the full recipe for paid subscribers), let me know how it goes + tag me on insta @farmbelly!
Herby French Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds small red, Yukon gold, or fingerling potatoes (no larger than 2” in diameter)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¾ cup finely chopped fresh tender herbs (such as parsley, basil, dill, tarragon, or mint – a mix of several different herbs is great)
½ lb sugar snap peas (about 1 pint), thinly sliced on the diagonal *(or sub green beans or cucumbers)
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 small shallot (¼ cup finely chopped)
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION
Place 3 pounds small red, Yukon gold, or fingerling potatoes and 2 tablespoons of the kosher salt in a large pot. Cover the potatoes by 1 inch of cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
While the potatoes are cooking, chop the herbs (I especially love the combo of parsley, dill, and mint, but just use whatever you have and prefer) and thinly slice the *sugar snap peas (I like to slice them on a diagonal so they are extra *fancy schmancy*). Set the chopped herbs and sugar snaps aside.
Make the vinaigrette – pour ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup finely chopped shallot, 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper into a mason jar. Seal tightly with a lid and shake! shake! shake! to emulsify.
When the potatoes are cooked, drained, and cooled enough to handle but *still warm*, halve (or quarter if large) them and transfer them to a large salad bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the still warm potatoes, and gently toss to coat. Note – you may not need to use *all* the vinaigrette that you made, if you have more than you need, just reserve it for another time. I use my hands to toss the potatoes, so I can be extra gentle and keep the potatoes from falling apart.
Add the chopped herbs and sliced sugar snap peas to the potatoes and gently toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
*NOTE: If you don’t have access to sugar snap peas, but still want some extra crunch/color, then substitute with either green beans or some chopped cucumber. If using green beans, I recommend tossing the raw beans in the pot with the potatoes at the very end of their cooking time… give the beans about 2 minutes to lightly cook, then drain the potatoes and beans together.
If you’ve found yourself here and haven’t yet subscribed to the Eat Like a Farmer newsletter, join us! Consider signing up for a paid subscription to receive emails *every* week, and get access to comments, chat threads, monthly giveaways, and bonus gardening + cooking resources.