An Early Summer's Bounty

The 'Lazy Days of Summer' are upon us! Eating the local foods of early summer should never be anything but a sensual pleasure;)

I always feel privileged to have grown up tasting the turn of seasons. I grew up knowing the rhythm of life unfolding year after year. I was always looking forward to an early summer dish on the table. A Salad made with new potatoes, called Patates Salatasi in Turkish (English: Potato Salad), has always been my mother's favorite dish -as seen below-, that in its time, appears on the table several times a week. A dish of simplicity containing nothing other than, but save a scant seasoning of salt, pepper and spring onions.


My mother taught me how to make this Salad, which really does not have a fixed recipe just like any other type of salads. One thing that is very important is to make sure you peel and cut the potatoes when they are still steaming hot. Yes, it maybe painful but you make it less painful by using a chopping board like I do. There are always clever&pratical solutions in the kitchen;)

While you are doing this, make sure that potatoes absorb the oil and salt, limon juice, pepper together which make it really delicious. Adding fresh mint would also go well with this mix. Attention, mint leaves will get dark as it waits.

Not as creamy as what is commonly known in the US, or the German potato salad but this one brings out the fresh herb's taste and smell. I also love it dearly, and would like to make it here for you, while the season is upon us:)

Get ready?

{Ingredients}

* 1 kgr new potatoes
* 1/2 cup of olive oil
* 1 tbs salt
* 3-4 stalks of green onion
* 1 limon juice
* a few fresh mint leaves
* half a bunch of parsley
* half a bunch of dill


{Method}

Put the potatoes in a big pot, cover with water, and let boil until it is easy to put a fork into the potatoes. Drain and fill the pot with cold water once more. Put them aside, and wait sometime until the potatoes cool well. In the mean time, mix the olive oil together with limon juice, pepper and salt in a jar. Put a bit of this mixture in a big salad bowl. As you peel and cut the potatoes in bite sizes, put them in the big bowl, coat well with the oil-pepper-limon juice. Do this until all the potatoes are finished, replenishing the oil mixture in the bowl as needed.

As a final stage, cut the green onions and parsley finely, add into the potato in the big bowl. Dress it with fresh mints.

Let's say in Turkish... Afiyet olsun:)

(English: Have a good appetite)