So there I was in the grocery store and piled in front of me was a mound of the most unusual new potatoes I’ve seen. They were small, with thin, pale skin, and pink eyes. The label said New Nugget Potatoes. I had to try them.
When I first moved to Alberta, 11 years ago, I arrived near the end of June. One of the first things I did was track down a garden store, buy a bunch of herbs, and plant them in the back yard. I also bought a pot, a plate, a little Hibachi grill, and some cutlery to tide me over as I waited for the movers to deliver my belongings from overseas. I had a lot of great meals with that simple assortment of tools, mostly steak accompanied by some form of potatoes, and fresh vegetables. One of my favourites featured what I have come to call Spring Garden Potato Salad. I decided to try my new-found potatoes in my tried and true salad.
What I like about this potato salad is its simplicity. There is no heavy dressing to overwhelm the taste of the other ingredients. The taste of the potatoes shines through, enhanced by the flavors of fresh garden herbs.
The new nugget potatoes are perfect for this recipe. They have a light, delicate, sweet flavor that balances the pungency of the chives and the zing of the lemon thyme. It’s the taste of Spring.
Spring Garden Potato Salad
- 1 lb. New Nugget potatoes
- 1 large pinch salt
- 1 1/2 T. garden chives, snipped into small pieces
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon thyme
- 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh garden mint
- 2 T. grape seed oil
- 1 T. white wine vinegar
- 4 or 5 chive flowers
- Boil the potatoes whole, in salted water, until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let them cool until they are still warm but no longer too hot to handle.
- Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch discs. Put them in a bowl. Toss with the salt, chives, thyme, and mint.
- Drizzle the oil and vinegar over the still warm potatoes and toss to coat.
- Snip the bottom of of the chive flower clusters. This should free up the individual flowers. Sprinkle them over the potato salad and toss it one more time.
- Serve warm or cold, but preferably outside in the garden.
Abby Made Me Do It 