Crispy Smashed Potato Salad
We’ve ushered ourselves into Summer in our normal fashion - pretending Summer vacation starts June 1 + wasting no time gearing up to spending every moment possible outdoors. And thankfully it’s been so easy to do so far! The weather has been so nice since mid May + we’ve just gravitated to our yard. Consider my base tan locked + loaded. We’ve had at least 2 days a week in that 75 to 80 degree range, and you simply can’t rip me + Walter from our lounge chairs. We’ve had friends over for a BBQ, enjoyed outdoor concerts without freezing our buns off, and we’ve even eaten a few dinners of our own outside. It’s the most wonderful time of the year and I am so thrilled we’ve made it here.
I also feel like we’ve had so many Summer adventures, and we’re just literally entering day 1 of the season. We kicked off June with an epic trip to Banff. It was one of those trips where everything fell into place. Better put - everything went exactly how I wanted it to go. Weather was dry, sky was clear + we were able to soak in all the scenery. We enjoyed a quiet canoe on Moraine Lake (something I’ll never forget), and our nights spent in the town were exactly how I wanted them to be. Popping around to different restaurants, enjoying Canada’s finest food, cocktails, and cold Kokanee pints (my favorite!). We even to got to check the box of seeing a Bear, and seeing at safe distance nonetheless. Everything felt like it fell into a place and the flow of the trip couldn’t have been better. We made it home just in time to celebrate Bear’s birthday, relishing in the fact that we officially have a teenager. It blows my mind that we’ve built 13 years of memories with this dog - all of them so precious. I spent the day on verge of happy tears thinking about how lucky he is to be ours. We followed his big birthday with our 1st camping trip of the season, and I am determined to make sure it’s not our last! Little does Jordan know but tonight we will be pinpointing another 3 days where we can sneak out of town with the boys for another stint outdoors. I am also partially glad to have had this time because I am in the thick of it with the Iron Flame - a book so long that I legitimately feel like I have a learning disability when I sit down to read for an hour and Kindle tells me I’ve only advanced like 3%. Long story short, camping provided me lots of time to crush some pages. And to do it all with a couple friends + their dogs - it was just such a fun few days.
The other Summer thing that’s already popping off beyond belief - my garden. Holy heck! Lettuce has been healthy + fruitful, and we’ve been eating so many salads as a result. The squash + zucchini are on the literal verge of going gangbusters, and our tomato plants are actually enormous. I’ve already made a promise to myself that I will not let myself get overwhelmed by the garden this year. Remembering this key concept - “having too much ripe produce in the garden is not a real problem.” I have been gearing up for this moment. Saving all the zucchini + tomato recipes that I will be dying to try with our garden goods.
Back to the present - the current garden item that can’t stop won’t stop is our lettuce. It’s delicious, crunchy, refreshing, and we cannot eat enough sandwiches + salads to even make a dent. But lord knows we’re trying our best. Our weekly meal plan is loaded with fun, loaded Summer salads, including this Crispy Smashed Potato Salad. Think of those times when you’re out to dinner + you want a salad but you also really really want the side of fries. This is the at-home, do-it-yourself solution to that predicament. One I frequently find myself in. Crisp green lettuce tossed with finely chopped filled pickles + then topped with the most perfect roasted golden potatoes that give all the French fry vibes. There’s enough to load onto the salad + even save a few to have a snack-and-dipper situation. The whole thing is tossed in my favorite dilly-ranch dressing that’s made with Greek yogurt + tons of herbs. It’s delicious, comes with a dressing that should go on so many more salads, and will undoubtedly be on repeat this Summer.
For the potatoes
1 lb baby Yukon gold potatoes
EVOO spray
Your favorite seasoning mix (I use a buffalo dill seasoning blend that I’m currently loving).
For the ranch
1/2 c. nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 c. lowfat mayo
1 heaping tbsp. Dijon
1 tbsp. dill pickle juice
1/4 c. fresh dill, packed into your measuring cup
3 tbsp fresh parsley
3 tbsp fresh chives
2 garlic cloves
Pinch of salt + pepper
For the salad
Romaine lettuce, washed + chopped (enough for your group)
1 c. dill pickles, finely chopped
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. blue cheese or white cheddar
Optional (if you want to beef up the salad): avocado, cucumber, or feta (if blue isn’t for you)
Everything Bagel Spice for garnish (of course!)
Start by making the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 375 + bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add in the potatoes until they’re tender. Drain the potatoes + transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet. Use the bottom of a glass or just your palm to gently smash each potato. Spray the potatoes lightly with EVOO + sprinkle generously with seasoning. Place in the oven to roast for 15-25 minutes. Use the convection feature if you have it. The potatoes should be brown + crispy but nowhere near burnt.
For the dressing, add all of the dressing ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until the herbs are minced + you have a pale green dressing. Transfer to an airtight mason jar + place in the fridge until its time to assemble the salad.
Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle a 1/4 cup of the dressing over the top + toss the greens together. Divide the salad among shallow bowls + top with a few of the potato pieces. Drizzle a bit more dressing on top + finish with Everything Bagel Spice.
