Potato Salad Politics | Blackeyed Pea Potato Salad

Earlier this week, THIS happened!

I'm so honored to have my first lead story published in the Food section of the Austin American Statesman. I've been a loyal reader and unapologetic fan girl for many years, and my association represents a goal and a dream fulfilled for me. I am so honored that I'm at a loss for words.

Of course that won't last long.

You can find that article online, too, right here. I had a little fun with it.

I might not be able to remember all of my ex-husbands’ middle names, but I remember their mamas’ potato salads.

One of the recipes I included in the article was so intriguing, and so darn southern, I had to share it here, too. It's a pretty little thing I think would make a fine impression among your holiday table this July 4th. It's as if my grandfather's summer garden was mined for a bowlful of family favorites.

Black-eyed Pea Potato Salad

“The Peace, Love and Potato Salad Cookbook”

Spring House Press, $16.95

Serves 8

½ cup thinly slivered red onion

Juice of 1 lemon

1 jar pickled okra, ¼ cup juice reserved

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup diced celery leaves from the tops of stalks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups thawed or canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

6 cups cooked red-skinned potatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks

1 teaspoon ground paprika for garnish

Directions

1. Toss onion with lemon juice and set aside for 15 minutes

2. For the salad dressing, mix together the okra juice, mayo, mustard, and celery leaves, plus salt and black pepper to taste.

3. Place black-eyed peas and potatoes in a large bowl and add onions. Toss well.

4. Drizzle mixture with dressing and toss to coat. Serve in a shallow bowl, topped with a dusting of paprika and pickled okra pods.

Tip: Do you like onions but not the way they can overtake all the flavors in a dish? Soaking the onion pieces in lemon juice will take away the bite, sweetening them just enough to complement the dish you’re making rather than overpowering it.

For 4 more of my favorite potato salads, along with the family politics that form and inform them, check out Potato salad with a side of family politics in the Austin American Statesman.