Do you have a crowd to feed this 4th of July? Me too. It is tradition in our family that I make the potato salad, and that I make enough for a ton of people so everybody can take some home. This was also one of my dad’s favorite dishes, and since the 4th of July was his favorite holiday, he has been on my mind a lot lately.
I miss my dad. Every single day. He was a prince among men, disguised in a rumpled shirt, reading glasses covered with paint splatters, bits of sawdust and motor oil, and a baseball cap that looked like it had been run over several times.
My dad put training wheels on my first bicycle, and bought me a pony when I was too little for a big horse. He bought my first car, a three speed, 1965 Mustang that had seen much better days. Then he took his life into own his hands and taught me how to drive it. He helped buy my first house, and spent an entire year fixing it up. We fought like cats and dogs during that year, since we each had a different perspective on how the place should look. He favored white, black, and red. I despised them. One day, I was painting the dining room ceiling a vivid rose color (looking back, it was hideous and I eventually did it over in another color). Grandpa Bob walked in, saw what I was doing, and had a fit. Then he stomped out and slammed the door. Thirty minutes later he came back with two giant ice cream cones. That is how the year progressed. We went through a lot of ice cream, and he never gave up on me.
Our dad loved every single moment of his life, had an amazing sense of observational humor, and could sell you the Brooklyn Bridge even if you already had one. He loved to eat, and this Potato Salad was always one of his favorites. He would always ask for seconds, but would caution, “Just a little spoonful. I’m delicate, you know”. Happy 4th of July, Grandpa Bob. I love you. …now let’s get going on this recipe!
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I, for one, felt the need to lay off the holiday stuffing of myself for a while. This does not mean that I am willing to give up food that is good for me, looks better than good enough to eat, and that has a few little indulgences thrown in for good measure. Here we have a big variety of winter vegetables that have been either steamed or roasted (and in some cases both), then heaped up on a platter and topped with plenty of sweet & salty candied walnuts. The whole works is then drizzled generously with a glaze made with butter, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. This is coincidentally the same mixture that is used to candy the walnuts, so we happily cut down on some effort there. The result: a beautiful, healthy, and just a tad bit sinful way to jump on the new year. And before you say anything – yes, I have gone overboard with the variety of vegetables here and don’t expect many people in their right mind to do the same, but this can give you many options to think about. How about choosing just one, maybe two, or maybe even three? The variety of tastes and colors can do nothing but make your day a happier, and healthier one. You can think about it this way…the more vegetables you use, the more candied walnuts and buttery glaze you get…I like to operate under those types of principles.
Here’s an easy side dish I developed pretty much by accident due to the fact that I stepped away from the stovetop while attempting an orzo risotto recipe. Orzo is a little pasta shape that looks a lot like big grains of rice. When I returned to the stove, I saw that the orzo was super toasted, and there was no way that was going to cooperate into giving off its starch to becoming a creamy risotto. “Rats”, I thought, but then decided just to go with it and see what happened. The result was this happy surprise. Toasting the orzo until just a tad past golden brown gave it a nutty, more developed flavor, and didn’t make the pasta clump up – not one bit. The addition of some wine, then chicken broth, further popped up the flavor. But being one who can’t leave well enough alone, I grabbed a couple of handfuls of baby spinach and tossed them in until just softened, then finished the whole business with some crumbled feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, and roasted garlic. Yowza.
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