Italian Potato Salad

Some of us cannot wait until Summertime, especially for those that live in the great white north, to get some of those great salads onto the table. We are one of those families. I think we are now starting to get the “itch” for some of those great picnic salads that just go great with warmer weather, and better yet, some food on the grill.  Well, I could not wait any longer. I needed a potato salad for a recent gathering, and wanted something that would tease the palette and remind us all of Summertime.

I really do love a nice potato salad, and one of my favorites could possibly be the steakhouse potato salad, but there are plenty of times where I am turned off by the amount of mayonnaise that is put into a potato salad. You know what I am talking about. Those salads that appear to be drenched in mayonnaise, and there is something about them, that can easily turn someone off on the idea of having another bite. Don’t get me wrong, I like mayonnaise, but only when mayonnaise is used in moderation.

So when I began to think about summer time salads, I thought of nice, fresh salads, something on the lighter side, and as a recent dinner party was themed around Italian-style, I thought along those same lines. This salad, as good as it was in the late winter, will be perfect for a barbecue get together.

Ingredients:

• 7 red potatoes, cleaned, skin on, quartered
• 1 large roma tomato, cored, and chopped
• 14 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup of Italian dressing
• 1/2 cup of green beans, rough chop
• 1 small shallot, minced

This salad goes really quickly, and is a hearty and flavorful one. You can let it rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving to enhance the flavors.  Begin by add water to large pot. Add in your quartered potatoes and bring the temperature on high, bringing to a boil, and cooking until the potatoes are fork tender; roughly 15-20 minutes.

During this time, prepare the other items. Once the potatoes are cooked, let them cool to room temperature. To a large bowl, add the potatoes, and the remaining ingredients. Lightly toss to incorporate all of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly with salt and pepper.

This goes great with grilled meat. Enjoy.