Boiled Potatoes

Finally we've returned! Last week kind of ran away from me, but we're back and ready to cook! We're entering a brief smorgasbord of potatoes; in case you forgot the sentence we're still working through:

"He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs" (Sorcerer's Stone 123).

And we're finally returning to Dinah Bucholz' book, The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook! We'll be making her "Boiled Potatoes with Herbed Vinaigrette." Note that I halved the recipe but included the measurements for a full recipe, so my photos will look different than your process.

You Will Need:

3 pounds small New Potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbs tarragon vinegar (or other kind you have available; I used balsamic)

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

2 Tbs chopped fresh dill (or half as much if you use dried)

1. Scrub the potatoes and place them in a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes.

2. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.

3. Drain the potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl. At this point, I cut most of my potatoes in half because they were pretty huge.

4. Add the oil, vinegar, and spices, and toss to combine.

5. Serve warm and enjoy!

Having grown up in a family where potatoes were served almost every night, and nine times out of ten they were mashed or baked, I'm always looking for new ways to prepare potatoes. I will definitely add this recipe to my repertoire-- it tastes both unexpected and delicious!