Dill-icious summer salad...

Memorial Day is here! And that means summer is on its way. 

First and foremost, a huge thank you to the brave men and women who put themselves in harm's way every day to protect our freedoms. And a special thank you to the families of our servicemen and women for their sacrifices as well.

Back to blogging....
When the weather gets toasty, light, refreshing salads are always tops on my list. If you live in Ohio, there is a great magazine you should check out. It's called Edible Ohio Valley and it celebrates the tastes and recipes of the Ohio Valley. An old friend of mine runs the magazine with her two sisters and it's really well designed and well written. Anyway, on to the food...

In the current issue, there is an article about herbs. I have really been into cooking lately and would like to plant some pots of herbs on our deck to use more fresh ingredients. The article also included some great recipes, and the Creamy Dill Potatoes sounded like a perfect summer side dish.

CREAMY DILL POTATOES

• 10-12 small red skin potatoes 
• 1 C Greek yogurt 
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh dill 
• 1 minced shallot
• Salt and pepper

Boil 10-12 small red skin potatoes in salted water until cooked through (about 10-12 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly. In a small bowl mix together Greek yogurt, chopped fresh dill, and minced shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Serve potatoes whole and warm with sauce on the side — or cold with quartered or whole potatoes tossed in the yogurt dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Per usual, I didn't have all of the proper ingredients, so I improvised and substituted and it actually turned out well. It started with the red skin potatoes. I had about 8 small- to medium-sized golden potatoes that I boiled.

After 12 minutes, I drained them and let them cool. 

After they cooled, I cut them into quarters and that is where the substituting got me into trouble. The skin on the golden potatoes is thinner than the red skin, so it peeled off when I cut them, making it a little messier than it should have been. 

While the potatoes were cooling, I mixed together the dressing. I only had a 6oz greek yogurt so I added in a little bit of reduced-fat sour cream and low-fat mayo. I also didn't have a shallot on hand (who does?!) and minced up some white onion. Then I went off-book and put in the juice of half a lemon. I then added in the fresh dill and mixed it all together.

I slowly combined the potatoes and the dressing, being careful not to smash the potatoes, since they were very soft. (Note: golden potatoes cook faster, so cut back the cooking time by a couple of minutes)

Even with the substitutions, I think they turned out great. The dill has a good, fresh bite to it that gives the recipe the perfect summer flavor. 

What are your favorite summer foods?