potatoes

What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.

A.A. Milne

Maybe it is in my genes, but I like potatoes. With Irish and Polish, and a pinch of Jewish ancestry for flavor, it came as no great struggle to be asked to make baked Idaho potatoes and a few yams this past week for a church family meal. I took home more than a dozen as leftovers. While I admit to a quick lunch of a reheated potato once or twice, I needed to do something with these. With another after-church potluck coming this weekend, I had a flash of inspiration. I can make potato salad with the leftovers. Had I been truly motivated, I might have made latkes, potato pancakes, pan-fried with onion, and salt. Perhaps for another day.

I have never been very diligent about following recipes, trusting in my instinct about flavors and spices. And to date, I may not get asked to be on the Food Network, but I can probably name a few dozen folks who like my cooking. Here’s what I used:

• a dozen medium-sized idaho potatoes, cooked, refrigerated, then peeled and cubed
• a half-cup of fresh celery, sliced thin and diced
• 3 tbsp of sweet pickle relish
• 2 tbsp of yellow mustard
• 3 tbsp of mayonnaise
• dash of paprika
• dash of pepper
• dash of garlic salt

Mix thoroughly (by hand) in a medium mixing bowl until all the potatoes are coated. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. This will yield perhaps 4 to 6 servings. Of course, all of this is under the watchful eye of your faithful companion, who is waiting in the off-chance that something will fall to the floor. A few hours earlier in the week to cook all the potatoes, and an hour today to make the potato salad, leaves me a few hours to work up an appetite.