Dijon Vinaigrette Potato Salad

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

3 lbs. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, whole (each about 3 inches in diameter)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tbs. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. coarse-grained Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. caper liquid from the jar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, minced
2 Tbsp. capers, drained

Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover them by 2 inches.  Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and let cool.

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, caper liquid, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended.  Set aside.

Cut the cooked potatoes into bite-size pieces.  Place the potatoes in a large bowl.  Add the chives, parsley, tarragon and capers.  Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and gently toss to coat.  Serve at room temperature.

Potato and Roasted Cauliflower Salad

(recipe adapted from Food & Wine magazine)

1 1/2 lb cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1/8 cup coconut oil
Kosher salt
3/4 lbs. fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
3/4 lbs. baby red potatoes, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I love grapeseed oil Vegenaise)
1 small shallot, minced
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/8 cup brined capers, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
1/8 cup finely chopped parsley
Grated horseradish, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400F.  On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with the oil and season with salt.  Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once, until just tender and lightly browned; let cool.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the fingerlings and red potatoes until just tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain.  Spread the potatoes on a large baking sheet and sprinkle with the vinegar.  Let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, shallots, mustard, capers, and parsley.  Add the cauliflower and potatoes and toss.  Season with salt to taste and garnish with more parsley, if desired.  Serve with horseradish.

Refrigerate; bring to room temperature just before serving.

(I just mixed some horseradish right in when whisking the other sauce ingredients, to taste.  Really delicious potato salad - makes me want to add roasted cauliflower to every potato salad recipe!)

Roasted Potato Salad with Shaved Fennel and Salsa Verde

(recipe from finecooking.com)

2 lb. small red-skinned or Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced chives
3 Tbsp. drained, rinsed, and chopped capers
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used a smaller amount of dried thyme)
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 medium clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium-small fennel bulb

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450F.  Spread the potatoes on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper, and roll them around to evenly coat them with the oil.  Spread the potatoes in a single layer, preferably with a cut side down.  Roast until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes.  The potatoes should be browned on the sides touching the pan.  Loosen the potatoes from the pan with a thin spatula and transfer them to a large serving bowl.

While the potatoes are roasting, in a medium bowl, stir the parsley, olive oil, chives, capers, orange juice, vinegar, orange zest, thyme, shallot, and garlic to make the salsa verde.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut off the top and the bottom of the fennel.  Cut the fennel bulb in half from top to bottom, and again into quarters - remove the cores.  Lay each quarter on its cut surface and then slice crosswise as thinly as possible.

Add the salsa verde and shaved fennel to the bowl of roasted potatoes - they can be added while potatoes are still warm, or at room temperature.  Toss well, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Dill Pickle Potato Salad

(recipe from Food52.com)

3 lbs. small potatoes, halved or quartered
1 jar leftover pickle brine, strained and divided
2 Tbsp. minced shallot
2 to 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (I used Vegenaise, the low-fat kind without canola oil)
1 tsp. celery salt (I used celery seed)
2 Tbsp. chopped dill
1 tsp. ground coriander (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt, to taste

Set aside 1/2 cup of pickle brine.  Strain the rest into a large pot, add enough water to boil your potatoes, and salt it well.  Bring it to a boil, then add your potatoes.  Cook for 12 to 15 minutes; your potatoes are ready when you can easily pierce them with a fork.  Just be sure they don't turn to mush.

Drain the potatoes and immediately toss them with 1/4 cup pickle brine and the shallot.  Set aside to cool.

Mix your dressing:  combine mayonnaise, 1/4 cup pickle brine, celery salt, dill, salt, and pepper.  Taste; add more salt and pepper if necessary, and toss in some coriander if you'd like.  Once your potatoes have cooled, toss to combine.  You can serve immediately, but the flavor is better after a night in the fridge.

(What a neat idea!  The pickle brine makes the salad so tangy!  I found the dressing to be a little watery, and would probably add a tad more mayo next time 'round.)