Picnic Time - Classic American Potato Salad

What kind of potato? The new potatoes below worked well. Normally you would peel the potato, but the thin skin on the new potato (I think it might be a baby Russet) means peeling them is optional.

I did peel the carrot before grating. I also peeled the fibrous outer layer on the celery.

4 medium new potatoes - about 1-1/4 pounds - cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup of white vinegar
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 rib of celery, diced small
1/3 of a large carrot, grated
3 heaping tablespoons of light mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon of bright, green, sweet relish
1/2 teaspoon of celery seed
1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
1 pinch of kosher salt if needed
1 gallon of well salted water in a pot for boiling the potatoes



Cut the potatoes in half length-wise. Cut the halves in half length-wise.



Slice into bite sized pieces.



Boil the sliced potatoes in the salty water for 25 minutes or until tender.

While boiling, grate the carrot. Finely chop the celery. Peel and chop the hard boiled eggs.

Drain the water and potatoes into a colander. While still hot, sprinkle the white vinegar on the potatoes while still in the colander. Transfer to a big bowl.

Add all the other ingredients and gently fold the mixture well with a rubber spatula.







The white vinegar adds a crisp punch of acid. I like it best for this recipe.

The "secret" ingredients in this recipe are the celery seed and sweet relish.

Variations:

• Substitute apple cider vinegar


• Add chopped, crispy bacon or finely chopped ham


• Add hot sauce


• Substitute sour cream for the mayonnaise


• Add finely chopped red onion or shallots

It's important to sprinkle on the vinegar while the potatoes are still hot so they absorb the flavor.

If the sliced potatoes are cooked in well salted water, you should not need salt for this recipe. Possibly, you may want to add a pinch to the final product based on taste.

This recipe makes 8-10 servings at about .25 cents per serving.

Pot Roast and Horseradish Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

This is what you will need for the roast - plus salt and pepper.



I got a good deal on this bad boy.



A big old hunk of beef.

The beef was labeled "bottom round". I think any product with round or rump or roast in the name qualifies for this recipe.

My bad boy was about 4-1/2 pounds. I just happened to be cooking for my daughter and her husband. I had one cancellation. Normally, Lonely Guy cooks for one or two, but this was a special occasion.

I am glad I got the big cut because a lot of fluid leeched out during the cooking process. Plus, it was so good it was one of those you can't stop eating.

The biggest pot I have is a pasta pot and this is what I used for the braise. A braise refers to simmering in a little liquid (but not submerged and boiling).

3 big carrots
5 celery stalks
1/2 large white onion
6 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup sauerkraut
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 5 pound beef bottom round
1 handful of chopped parsley

Cut off any of that silvery, bluish fat off of the roast. It never gets tender.

Cut off some of the white fat cap, especially if it's thick.

Oh my gosh, wrestling with this big piece of meat and trying to remove the fat must have looked ridiculous. It took awhile and I made a mental note to re-sharpen my chef's knife.

Give the beef a massage with a generous amount of salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Get the oil hot in the pot and sear all sides of the beef. It's heavy so you will need barbecue tongs and fork to flip the big guy around. I was moderately successful with this approach. I ended up using my hand. Get it browned all over and set aside.

Chop up the carrots, celery and onion and throw them into the pot.

Put the beef in the pot on top of the veggies.

Place the kraut and garlic on top of the roast.

Add the chicken broth, water and vinegar to the pot. Cover.

Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 3-1/2 hours on the stove top. I went 3-1/2 hours.

Remove the beef and cover with foil to keep warm.

Strain the juice in the big pot into a little pot and boil until reduced by half. Taste the gravy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the beef and reheat in the hot gravy before serving.

Garnish with the chopped parsley.

Left-overs? Beef tacos or beef sandwiches with a spread of the horseradish mashed potatoes and some steak sauce. Serve with a big dill pickle. Yum! Or, how about a slider with barbecue sauce and coleslaw?

Horseradish Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

2 big Russet potatoes - peeled
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Light (lower fat) buttermilk as needed to get a creamy consistency
Salt and pepper

Chop up the potatoes into one inch chunks and boil for 30 minutes.

Strain the water and put the cooked potato chunks into a big bowl.

Mash the potatoes with a good old potato masher or a dinner fork.

Add a good amount of salt, probably at least two teaspoons, and black pepper. Mix.

Add horseradish. Mix.

Keep mixing and add buttermilk, about 1/2 cup or more, until you get a nice creamy consistency. It may look like a thick soup but as it cools, it will tighten up thanks to the starch in the Russets.

The bottom round was surprisingly lean. The mashed potatoes used no butter or cream. Served with a Greek salad, this was meal you can feel good about -even after going in for seconds.