Here is a healthy version of potato salad to serve this spring provided by Kerry Dunnington, the author of two cookbooks focused on healthier and seasonal eating. The recipe was created in response to the fact that mayonnaise was being rationed during the 1940s.
Kerry writes:
My
mother has been serving this potato dish since she and my father first ate it
at a picnic with friends
in the summer of 1945. The picnic was in honor of their return from the war. It
was a potluck
event, and one of the women brought this potato dish, announcing it wasn’t at
all like traditional
potato salad because it only had a tablespoon of mayonnaise. (Mayonnaise was
being rationed
at the time.) Everyone loved it and no one missed the traditional potato salad
laden with
mayonnaise.
½
cup canola oil
¼
cup seasoned rice vinegar
1
teaspoon celery seed
1
teaspoon salt
¾
teaspoon black pepper
6
medium potatoes, unpeeled (peel if you prefer), quartered
1½
cups quartered and thinly sliced onion
1
tablespoon mayonnaise
In
a 1-cup jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine oil, vinegar, celery seed, salt
and pepper. Shak contents
until well combined. Allow marinade to stand at room temperature for several
hours.Cook
potatoes in boiling, salted water for about 15 minutes or until tender. Allow
the potatoes to
cool. When cool enough to handle, thinly slice. In the dish you will be serving
the potato salad,
layer the potatoes and the onions alternately. Shake marinade and pour evenly
over the potatoes
and onions. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Just before
serving, toss
the potatoes with the mayonnaise. Season with additional salt if necessary.
6
servings
Kerry is the author of Tasting the Seasons: Inspired, In-Season Cuisine That's Easy, Healthy, Fresh
and Fun and This Book Cooks
