Mikki Brisk

 

 

At Rock Camp for Girls L.A., we are fed well. And I do mean well. Last year, there was a particular lunch that just blew me away. I sat alone, as I was so intent on breaking down the potato salad and identifying its components. I have to say, the anti-social behavior paid off. I have now made this potato salad many times and I love, love, love it!

 

Here’s what you’ll need…

 

 

Red Potatoes, Kale, Onion, Cornichons, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, Vegenaise (or regular Mayonnaise), Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

 

Wash the Potatoes and quarter them. (I cut these into eighths, as quarters were a little larger than I wanted.) Place them on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle Salt and Pepper over, then pour on the Olive Oil. Mix it all up with your hands and spread the potatoes out so that you have a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

 

 

While the potatoes are roasting, prepare the steamed Kale. Boil an inch or two of water in a pot with a fitted steamer basket and lid.

 

Clean the Kale. Wash the leaves and remove any tough stems. (If you’ve purchased bagged Kale, there may still be stems.) Chop the leaves into strips or bite-sized pieces.

 

 

Place the cleaned Kale in the steamer basket and set over the boiling water. Cover. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes. As you can see, I don’t own a steamer basket. But I do own a colander that fits perfectly inside a large pot. It never fails me.

 

 

While the Kale steams, cut the Cornichons into a fine dice.

 

 

Cut the Onion into a fine dice.

 

 

Cut the Chipotle Pepper into a fine dice. I don’t have a photo of this, because I didn’t have a danged Chipotle Pepper. I did have Chipotle Pepper paste, however, and it worked great. (I used 1.5 T. of paste.)

 

Remove Kale from heat and cool slightly. Drain well.

 

 

Remove roasted Potatoes from oven. They should be cooked through with some golden, crispy areas.

 

 

In a large bowl, toss roasted Potatoes, chopped Cornichons & Onion, chopped Chipotle & Adobo Sauce and Vegenaise.

 

 

Add steamed Kale and toss thoroughly.

 

 

Once it’s mixed, it should be seasoned perfectly. If you disagree, add more Salt or Adobo Sauce. For the record, I’ve never needed to add anything at this point.

 

 

Voila! Now you can claim a delicious vegan dish as part of your repertoire. And if you use regular mayo, you’re still making a vegetarian side. And what a side it is! There’s spice from the Adobo Sauce. There’s pretty (and, okay, health) from the Kale. There’s comfort from the potatoes. I’m so glad I took the time to dissect this dish when I first devoured it. And though my version will never be quite what the caterer concocted, it’s danged close. And danged mm-mmm good! Enjoy!

 

Here’s the printable…