When it comes to everyday cooking, I (Simone) am not a very precise person. To me, it’s about nourishment and relaxation after a busy workday. No need to impress anyone. Mistakes can be fixed. Just create good, nourishing food that appeals to the senses. Your senses. You know what that looks like. Look: is your dish colourful or bland? Which one are you in the mood for today? Inhale deeply the scents that are filling up your kitchen: cut herbs, opened spice jars, oils. Need more chives? Add more chives. Feel. Cut the veg. Toss the salad with your hands, Jamie Oliver style. Take a bite and taste. Salt? Pepper? Too sweet? Cooking is not about recreating the picture in the recipe. It’s about putting a dish on the table you will love. Find your go-to recipes and make them, again and again and again. Make them your own. Taste, try, add, fix.
You can’t go wrong if you trust your senses
That’s why this potato salad is a recipe without precise measurements. Just a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Maybe a touch more of something else. You can’t go wrong if you trust your senses.
A not-so-precise recipe for a summer potato salad
Serves as many as you decide
Ingredients
For the salad:
Crispy lettuce, like romaine
Small potatoes, cut in halves or quarters
Kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Some capers
Chopped apple
Chopped cucumber
Chopped chives (extra sprigs for serving, if you like it fancy)
Fresh eggs, two per person
For the dressing:
3 parts extra virgin olive oil
1 part apple cider vinegar
A bit of Dijon mustard
A dash of maple syrup or honey
If you like some creaminess, add a dollop of crème fraîche or mild coconut yoghurt
Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Start by cooking the potatoes in some salted water, for about 4-5 minutes. Drain, steam for a bit and then let cool.
- Soft boil your eggs (3-5 minutes, depending on their size). When cooked, run them under ice water.
- Chop your lettuce and add it to the bottom of your salad bowl(s).
- In another large bowl, mix the kidney beans, capers, apple, cucumber and chives.
- Put the dressing ingredients in a jam jar, shake well and taste. Good? More salt? Too much vinegar (add more oil)?
- Add the dressing to the large bowl. Toss it with your hands.
- Add the vegetable mix to your salad bowl. Finish it with peeled eggs, sliced in halves, and add some extra chives.
- Enjoy!
- Left-overs? The bean-veggie mix keeps for about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Not only was I model for this picture :), I was also invited to dinner. It was a delicious salad!