Potatoes. Baked whole or in wedges or in fries, mashed, fried. Turned into salad, soup, latkes or hash. I once interviewed a farmer who said if you didn’t know what to do with potatoes you should get out of the kitchen.
Store your potatoes in a dark, cool location. Not the refrigerator. I like to rinse mine and let them dry thoroughly before storing.
Everybody has a dozen potato salad recipes. Here’s one more.
This is “Japanese” potato salad because it uses Japanese mayonnaise. Feel free to substitute your favorite all-American brand. No Japanese hot mustard? A little horseradish will make for another all-American substitute.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, quartered Kosher salt 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced crosswise 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 6 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, such as Kewpie 1/2 teaspoon Japanese hot mustard 1 small carrot, quartered and thinly sliced crosswise 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped 1 green onion, white and light green parts only, chopped
Preparation:
Place potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Season generously with salt, set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Let cool.
While potatoes are cooking, place cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well, then let stand for 10 minutes. Drain any accumulated water, then gently squeeze cucumbers to remove excess liquid.
In a small bowl, stir together rice vinegar, mayonnaise, and hot mustard until well mixed.
Mash potatoes with a masher or a large fork, allowing some small lumps to remain. Add cucumbers, carrots, onions, eggs, green onions, and mayonnaise mixture. Mix well and season with salt. The salad can be refrigerated up to 1 day.