Growing up, summer meant freshly dug baby spuds… baby spuds cooked with mint. Scratch that, baby spuds cooked with mint and smothered with lashings of butter! To me there is nothing quite as memory-inducing as the smell of minty spuds cooking and it’s something I’ve often wondered about. Why is it that only the fresh baby spuds get the special mint treatment? I mean why don’t the mid-winter potatoes get such royal treatment? This I will never know, I guess it’s just how it’s always been, or so my Nana once said when I questioned her on the subject.
While our current vege garden is nowhere near what we once had back home in NZ (Perth’s sandy soil and extremely hot temperatures are hard work!) I make the most of our local farmers market every weekend to stock up on all my fruit and vegetables we don’t have growing out back (which after the last tomato-killing storm passed through is basically everything bar the silverbeet and herbs). It was last weekend that I spotted these beautiful little organic babies. I couldn’t help myself and bought a kilo and a half. The first night we enjoyed them simply cooked, with mint of course and the non-negotiable pat of butter on top. By the second night my mind had turned to something else. A cold potato salad, beefed up with extra mint and a creamy yoghurt dressing in place of the more common mayonnaise-based one.
The dressing can be tweaked and changed to suit your own personal preferences. You could bump up the lemony flavour by adding in a little lemon zest. Love chilli? By all means add a little pinch of chilli flakes or a finely chopped green one, I know I would have had the kids not been eating this too. Oh who am I kidding, Kye didn’t even go near this. He’s the fussy one of my two. Ada on the other hand gobbled it down with great gusto. Speaking of the boy, we have survived his first day of school, with only one major fit of tears (mine and his). Today, his fourth day was greeted with smiles and bravery. No tears and one happy mama.
P.S Like the new look? It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for years and I’m super happy with it!
21 Responses
What a perfect fresh summer meal! I love using yoghurt in dressings and mint sounds like an ideal addition. Glad you got through the first few days of school, here's hoping the smiles and bravery continue – for Kye and mamma ;D
Thanks JJ, he's doing really well. (And I'm secretly loving all this time to cook!) xx
I love the new look Emma, very clean and easy to navigate. And yummy salad. Will have to try this with our freshly dug potatoes. Thanks 🙂
Oh you lucky thing Nicola, nothing beats freshly dug spuds! xx
I have been loving the baby potatoes you can buy in the supermarkets too which come with butter and parsley. very handy after work for an easy meal. but nothing beats home grown goodness for sure! I love making a smoked salmon and baby potato salad.
Love your new look – very clean and modern. More so I love this salad. It sounds delightful. Glad you survived the first day of school. It’s a big deal for us mums. Hope all is coming along nicely with the book.
Thanks Sherilyn 🙂 I'm getting a lot more done for the book since school started that's for sure! xx
I barely ever do potatoes with mint, this needs to be rectified! Thanks for the inspiration.
Oh you must! xx
Love that red onion 🙂 I tasted some of Dad's potatoes the other day, teeny tiny little ones, and wow, I am just in love. They're a tough one to grow, that's for sure! But oh so dreamy.
Heidi xo
We've had heaps of luck growing them back in NZ, but our with our sandy soils over here I haven't even tried! Can't wait to get back into growing our own once we move back home though xx
Love the new look, so clean and fresh and simple. It's just perfect. As is this potato salad. I'm not a big fan of those overly creamy and rich salads that swamp the potatoes but this sounds like the perfect balance of flavours.
Thanks love, I'm really pleased with how it's turned out too 🙂 I finally feel like my blog truly reflects me and my food xx
The new look is awesome indeed! I so need to do something with mine as well. Potatoes and mint are simply made for each other, maybe mint just wasn't growing in winter where your Nan lived and thats why she didn't use it then?
Lovely recipe indeed, and I bet your Nan would love it too 🙂
Yes very true about the mint possibly not being around mid-winter! xx
What a nice potato salad! I love the minted yoghurt dressing, very unique!
Love love love the new look, so you – so fresh! I'm dying for a wee makeover too, but we'll see, we'll see!
Spuds are my all time favourite food, mashed, chips, wedges and salads. Love a good spud salad. I've been playing around with alot of herby yoghurt based spud salads of late, I imagine that the tahini addition would be yummo.
Thanks Jas! xx
Love the yogurt-mint w the taters!
Love the new look…bright & clean 🙂 And well being Scottish I love my spuds! Loving the Jersey Bennes at the moment & those little babies would be perfect for this salad 🙂
This looks incredible! Yum!