Recipe: Best-ever potato salad

Everyone needs a good spud salad recipe in their repertoire, and this herb-packed offering is hard to beat. 

This is my go-to potato salad recipe and it was one I had never written down nor considered sharing. Until before Christmas, that is, when we headed inland to celebrate the festive season Kiwi style with a potluck lunch at the farmhouse on our good friends’ farm. There were kids and candy canes aplenty, and as it sometimes goes when you’re on a farm, lots of meat. Being only semi-carnivorous, I supplied the salad, and it turned out to be a real crowd-pleaser – so much so that I was asked to share it.

It wasn’t until one friend who took the recipe admitted she’d made it three times in a week that I figured it was about time I shared it with the wider world. So here it is. It adapts to suit what’s in the fridge/pantry/garden and is delicious as a side or even a light lunch. I’ve made it with only yoghurt before and it would also be delicious with the addition of thinly sliced green beans or fresh peas and black olives. I hope it soon becomes a fast favourite of yours, as it has for me and my friends.         

POTATO SALAD

Serves 6

• 1.5kg potatoes, cubed, boiled
• 6 gherkins, cut into small pieces
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 5 boiled eggs, chopped
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 cup herbs (basil, parsley, mint, lemon balm, thyme, marjoram etc)
• 1 cup greens (optional) – I used a combination of NZ spinach and lambs quarters but spinach or baby spinach would work too), 
• handful of tamari seeds (optional)
• edible flowers (optional)

Put the potatoes in a large bowl along with the gherkins, red onion and eggs. 

Put the mayo, yoghurt, capers, mustard, honey, oil, vinegar and herbs into a pyrex jug, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and using a stick blender, blend until smooth. 

Pour this over the potatoes and mix well to combine. Garnish with the greens, seeds and flowers if desired.  Can be made ahead of time and then garnished before serving.