What I created on my summer vacation – no writing, but lots of good eats

On my summer vacation, I did absolutely nothing – nothing related to work, that is.

I biked, hiked, swam, rafted, read and spent time with people I love. And I cooked.

My son takes over the kitchen when he’s home from college and I play sous chef. One night, we made the food for a dinner party at my sister’s vacation house in central Oregon. My son and my brother-in-law made Texas-style barbeque brisket. I contributed my famous potato salad, a take on a family recipe handed down from my mother and her mother before that.

What do good eats have to do with writing? For me, it exercises that itch need to be creative even when I’m not at the keyboard.

So here’s my vacation souvenir to you – come and get it:

Michelle’s Potato Salad

Feeds 12, adjust proportions according to how many people you’re feeding.

Salad

5 lbs. red potatoes

Dozen large or extra-large eggs

6+ large dill or kosher dill pickles, diced

2-3 bunches scallions, rinsed and diced

3-4 stalks celery, rinsed and diced

Optional: 1 to 2 cups green, red, yellow or orange peppers, rinsed and diced

Optional: 2-3 parsley sprigs, rinsed

Dressing

1 to 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (Hellmans/Best Foods)

Optional: Substitute ½ cup sour cream or plain, unsweetened yogurt for equal portion mayonnaise

1/3 cup mustard; use Dijon or coarse ground mustard for a slightly different taste

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Wash and cut potatoes into halves or quarters, and boil in salted water until tender. Let cool just enough to be able to hold them while you peel skins and cut into bite-sized pieces. Put pieces directly into serving bowl. Hard boil eggs in salted water, remove from stove, cool unpeeled eggs in ice bath until cool enough to hold while you peel shell. Cut into bite-sized pieces and add to serving bowl. Add diced pickles, scallions, celery, and optional peppers to serving bowl.

In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together. Adjust for taste; add more mustard and vinegar for a slightly tangier flavor, or substitute sour cream or plain yogurt for a creamier dressing. Don’t skip tasting the dressing, it’s the make it or break it step. Pour half of dressing into serving bowl and mix. Continue drizzling rest of dressing into serving bowl until ingredients are thoroughly coated and potatoes and eggs yolks start to mush together. Garnish with parsley sprigs.