MUST HAVE ~ for Italian Potato Salad

First, start with yellow flesh potatoes (medium starch – slightly creamy texture) or organic garden potatoes [small new potatoes, red potatoes (firm, lowest starch) or fingerling (great flavour)]. Tiny potatoes are best. Lemon is the FIRST magic ingredient. DILL is the SECOND secret ingredient. My fresh dill – salmon sandwiches always bring smiles. When I added dill to my potato salad – more raves and cheers! Make sure to add (1) Lemon & lemon zest, (2) DILL and (3) ‘HOT’ dry mustard. This THIRD ‘hot’ magic ingredient is essential in the potato salad. The mustard powder does not taste hot at all. You will see. Whatever else you add is good. These first three ingredients are a ‘MUST HAVE“ and your creation becomes IRRESISTIBLE.!!

Irrestistible Potato Salad Recipe

Italian Potato Salad Recipe

Servings: 8-10
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS
12-14 small potatoes
1/2 cup mayonnaise (home made) see recipe
1/2 cup sour cream ( or Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup of fresh dill – chopped
1 fresh lemon (juice) and zest
1-2 GREEN jalapino peppers (no seeds)- diced
1 RED bell pepper – diced
1 WHITE sweet vidalia onion (finely chopped) Substitute scallions or leeks.
1 tsp hot dried mustard
Add fine Himalayan red salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Optional: 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced, 1-2 chopped dill pickles (a must for mom’s potato salad)

DIRECTIONS

Boil water and place (unpeeled) potatoes in a large pot. Make sure potatoes are completely covered Reduce heat to medium. In about 20 minutes potatoes are cooked. Test with a sharp knife or fork. Drain and set aside. Peel cooled potatoes while watching TV. Then dice potatoes in the bowl with a sharp knife
Mix mayonnaise & sour cream with lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, powdered mustard and peppers
Incorporate the spicy mayonnaise with the chopped potatoes
Taste your mix and add more salt or lemon juice. You decide what is needed to get that irresistible flavour.

Play with ingredients for different results. I sometimes add 1 raw, minced garlic clove for added zest.

Once I ordered salad in a hotel. It arrived in a chilled cucumber bowl. My version of this potato salad was to rim the potato salad with thin sliced cucumber when serving guests. Garnish with radishes, cucumber and celery boats. TIP: I use an empty tin can open on both ends and line the can with a single layer of thin cucumber. Overlap the edge and cut off excess cucumber to make an even stand up edge. Add potato salad inside the can up to the top of the cucumber slices and chill for at least one hour. See picture above.

No-Mayo Italian Potato Salad (Vegan Friendly)

Add Italian dressing or oil and vinegar. Optional; chopped scallions or onions on hand. Add any greens like parsley, cilantro, a bit of thyme, finely chopped kale. Rosemary would be a great addition! This is how mom made her potato salad. She used dill and chopped dill pickles.

When Should You Buy Organic?

You might wonder if the nutrients in organic food are higher than those in non-organic food. We assume they are higher. Especially since they cost more to buy. But, it is not always the case.

Some Farms still spray their crops. The wind takes the dust to nearby organic farms?

Dirty Dozen And Clean 15

All fruits and vegetables are good but Some Are Better Than Others.

Download this FREE Brochure. Paste it on your fridge and give to your friends. Keep a copy in your wallet for your grocery shopping trips. Your friends and your body will thank you for it.—> CLICK HERE-(to download/print the PDF). It’s fantastic!

What is EWG?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) have generously provided us with this excellent shopping guide. EWG studied 46 conventionally grown fruits and vegetables over a ten year period and have listed the ones with the most peswgticide contaminants and those with the least amount of pesticides.

Their “Dirty Dozen” have the most contaminants. The clean fifteen has the least contaminants defined with both organic and conventional produce. Nice work EWG!

Pesticides

It all began 4,500 years ago in Ancient Mesapotania, where the first known (organic) pesticide was elemental sulfur dusting. In 1959, the dominant arsenic spray used to preserve the orange groves in Florida was on the decline as organic sprays were emerging again. We are still left with residual arsenic in the soil including other synthetic pesticides that are still being used.

Aerial view showing orange grove being sprayed – Winter Garden, Florida.

New Farm Methods since 2017

We are really talking about are pesticides. Do we spray our produce with poisonous chemicals or not? Starting on the top L-H Side–>(1) Electrostatic Sprayer with a specific lower diffuser (named Gib-Dor) are designed to combat the Brown Spot on these pear trees (and apple trees). (2) Florescent spraying (since 2017) is in the experimental stages, used on apricot trees. (3) Electrostatic charge sprayer generate saving to the farmers. (4) Yet, according to the SBS News: The National Farmers’ Federation has defended the continued use of a British-made herbicide that’s allegedly been behind thousands of deaths overseas. (5) Drones spraying crops.

KING SPUD The Mighty Potato

White potatoes have such a high amount of pesticides that the potato farmer will not eat them but have a separate potato patch for their family consumption. The interesting Michael Pollan film “Botany of Desire” (available on YouTube) explains this in length.

THE JOY OF A FRESH TOMATO

BY examining the tomato, Food Chemists at the University of California found that organically grown tomatoes have a significantly higher amount of vitamin C than their non organic counterparts. Don’t kill the good stuff with pesticides!

My favorite tomato is called the Kumato (green/purple) tomato from Spain. I really like the taste. It reminds me of tomatoes when I was a kid. Kumatoes are not genetically modified. They are a cross breeding of tomatoes and can be grown hydroponically.

BELL PEPPERS ARE EQUAL in VITAMIN C

For Both Organic and Non-Organic Foods ~ But wait, there’s more….

Sweet bell pepper are very tasty and colorful. But peppers, like all vegetables, must adhere to scrutinous washing with vinegar. Non-organic bell peppers are sprayed many times during its growth cycle. We are looking at 49 possible carcinogens, nine suspected hormone disruptors and nine neurotoxins. Question: How much gets into our system? Answer: “All of it!” Bell peppers on the “DIRTY DOZEN” list.

Pediatricians 👩‍⚕️ Don’t All Agree 👨‍⚕️

A new report claims that organic food does not have “any meaningful nutritional benefits or deficits.” Conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the report recommends that pediatricians take the findings of the report into account when giving nutritional advice to parents. from www.naturallySavvy.com

A study showed that on average organic produce had 27% more vitamin C, 21% more iron, 27% more magnesium and more than 13% more phosphorous than conventional produce. These facts can be referenced in Dr. John La Puma’s book “Chef MD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine“.

Organic chart provided by ecochildsplay.com

RATE YOUR PLATE (Using EWG Guidelines)

You can drop your pesticide exposure by 90% when you follow the EWG GUIDELINES. When I didn’t see blueberries on their short list, I went to the EWG site. Blueberries don’t have to be organic. I can buy conventional blueberries. Visit www.EWG.org to rate your plate.

What is GMO?

GMO ( genetically modified organism) produce; using genetic engineering techniques were designed build a better tomato and thwart pests. GMO tomatoes are not labeled in your grocery store and may have unknown allergens.