THE humble potato is an amazingly versatile vegetable. Here at Olive Tree Farm, it is the probably the vegetable we eat the most of. We even tried growing them.
The first year, we tried the traditional method, straight into the ground, banking them up as the time passed.
They looked great, but the harvest was pathetic. We tried growing them in tyres the following year. Apparently, this fail-safe method produced a good crop.
Not at Olive Tree Farm, again it was pathetic. So now we buy them!
The new potatoes that are in the shops are lovely cooked and then left to go cold. With a nice dressing plus a few additions it becomes a tasty accompaniment to a main dish, or even as a tapa for a quick lunch.
So, if you fancy having a go at either of these simple dishes buy a few nice small potatoes, don’t bother to peal, boil gently for about 15 mins or so until just soft, leave to go cold and refrigerate, then later within 10 minutes you will have something delicious to serve cold.
Potato Salad with Chorizo – Perfect for a BBQ – Approximately 4 – 6 small servings
4-6 cooking chorizo sausages, split in half lengthways (the slim ones not the huge chunky ones)
6-8 small cooked and chilled new potatoes cut into bite sized chunks
4 – 6 heaped tablespoons mayonnaise
1-2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper
Method
Take the potatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper and mix it all together in a large bowl. Check flavours adding more of any of the ingredients if you think it needs it. Leave in the fridge until ready to serve.
If you are having a BBQ, cook the sausage turning a couple of times until cooked through and slightly crispy. Cut into chunks and leave to cool. When ready to serve, tip your potato mixture onto a serving dish and sprinkle the sausage pieces over the top. If you are not having a BBQ, use a griddle pan on the hob which is what I did to get the BBQ like marks onto the sausage.
Potato Salad in a Wholegrain Mustard and Mayonnaise Dressing
6-8 small cooked and chilled new potatoes cut into bite sized chunks
4 – 6 heaped tablespoons mayonnaise
1-2 teaspoons of whole grain mustard
Salt and black pepper
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
150g bacon bits fried off until crispy
Method
Take the potatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper and mix it all together in a large bowl check seasonings. Leave in the fridge until ready to serve. When ready, tip your potato mix into a serving dish and sprinkle the eggs and bacon over the top.
