Memorial Day Ritual

Ladies and gentlemen, Papa Diva has turned off the No Potato Salad Sign; you are now free to make potato salad again.

I'll bet you're thinking this is some kind of joke, but I assure you he's deadly serious. We're all aware of certain necessary rules and regulations that we, as a society, abide by for the greater good. You know ... "do unto others as you would do to yourself", "if you don't eat your meat you can't have any pudding", "don't wear white after Labor Day", etc. You get the drift.

And the most important of all: "thou shalt not serve potato salad prior to Memorial Day." Potato Salad has a season; a distinct window of serve-able legality. It begins on Memorial Day and ends on Labor Day. So sayeth Papa Diva, so knoweth all.

Divalicious Potato Salad:
2 pounds unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes2 tbsp. white vinegar1 tbsp. red wine vinegar1/2 tsp. celery salt1/2 tsp. celery seeds2 to 3 tbsp. sweet pickle relish (or to taste)pinch of saltgenerous grinding of fresh black pepper 1/4 cup diced red onion1/2 cup diced celery
3 tbsp. plain, non-fat Greek yogurt3 to 4 tbsp. reduced fat mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley1 large hard boiled egg, peeled and chopped2 large scallions, choppedPlace potatoes into a large stock pot, cover with water, salt the water generously, bring to a boil, and cook until just tender - approximated 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and allow them to cool for 10 minutes.

In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the white vinegar, red wine vinegar, celery salt, celery seed, relish, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine, then add the potatoes to the bowl and toss well with a large spoon or spatula to combine, making sure the potatoes are coated evenly. Allow the potatoes to cool while you prepare the rest of the dressing.

In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and dill, stirring well to incorporate. Once the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, add this mixture to the potatoes and toss well with a rubber spatula to coat evenly. Cover and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for one hour or more. Just before you are ready to serve, add the chopped fresh parsley, chopped hard boiled egg and the scallions, stirring well to incorporate. Garnish the finished salad with a dusting of paprika and some additional chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately and promptly chill any unserved portion.

As written this recipe will serve 6 to 8.

And, frankly, its not really potato salad unless you serve it in one of these classic 1970's Pyrex bowls.

Now, I'm certain that most of you do not need a recipe for potato salad. I offer it here today so that, A.) you may now feel free to serve it with out repercussion and, B.) in case I have some small variation in my method which would interest you.

You should certainly feel free to skip the Greek yogurt and use only mayonnaise. I did that to reduce the fat and because I'm really not a mayo lover. And, hey, don't use the reduced fat stuff on my account either. If you're comfortable going whole hog, by all means have at it.

You will note the use of both celery salt and celery seed in the recipe. I happen to have both on hand and like the combination. Don't go out and buy a bottle of either just for this recipe. If you have only celery seed, just go ahead and use that - double the amount. Ditto for the celery salt.

This is a simple, classic version of potato salad. Perfect for any BBQ or grilling event. I hope you'll try it.

Happy Belated Memorial Day! And Happy Potato Salad Season, Papa Diva!

Bon appetit!