Marinated Potatoes a Creative Choice for St. Patrick's Day

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