Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Cheddar, Potato, and Vegetable Salad

When I lived in Chicago, there was a Polish deli right down the street that was my go-to for last-minute goodies. One of my favorites was something they called jarzyna salad.

Saying it in a foreign language makes is sound so much more ... exotic. But it was basically a potato salad with extra vegetables.

The formal translation for "vegetable salad" is actually sałatka jarzynowa, but the deli catered to non-Polish speakers so they made it a little easier.

The vegetables in the mix varied from time to time, no doubt depending on what was in season or what they had on hand, but there were always potatoes and it always had a mayonnaise-based sauce.

This isn't a re-creation of that salad - it's been a long time since I've had it, so I doubt I could recreate it if I tried. On the other hand, I like my version a whole lot. And, just like the original, it's variable, depending on what's in season or what you have on hand.

Jarzyna Salad

1 pound waxy potatoes
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 ribs celery
6 mini zucchini
4 radishes
Kernels from 1 ear cooked corn
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
6 mini sweet pickles
2 teaspoons Chef Shake*
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (more for garnish, if desired)

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. I used a mix of red, Yukon gold, and blue potatoes, but standard red potatoes are fine.

Drain the potatoes. As soon as you can handle them, peel and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the cider vinegar. Let the potatoes cool a bit as you prep the remaining ingredients. It's fine if they're a little warm, but you don't want them steaming hot.

Cut the celery into thin half-moons and add them to the bowl.

Slice the mini zucchini into rounds and add them to the bowl. If you don't have mini zucchini, use one or two of the regular small ones - you can cut them into rounds, or cut them in quarters, lengthwise, then slice.

Cut the eggs into bite-size pieces, and add to the bowl.

Cut the pickles into slices and add to the bowl. If you don't have the mini sweet pickles, use regular gherkins - two or three, depending on how well you like them.

Add the corn, Chef Shake, mayonnaise and mustard to the bowl. Stir to combine. Add the cheese and give it one more stir to distribute the cheese through the mix.

Taste for seasoning and add salt, if needed. Refrigerate until well-chilled before serving.

Garnish with extra shredded cheese, if desired.

*Chef Shake includes onion, black pepper, garlic, carrots, orange peel, tomato, celery seeds, red pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, lemon oil, lemon juice powder, oregano, thyme, citric acid, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, and coriander.

Needless to say, you can use your own mix, if you don't happen to have this product.

I got the Chef Shake along with other products from the The Spice Hunter at no cost to me, but I wasn't required to post about it. I've been using it in a lot of different recipes since it's so versatile, and it was perfect for this salad. When this jar is empty, I'll be buying more, for sure.
Cheddar Potato and Vegetable Salad
Yum