Potato salad — Salade de pommes de terre

April 13, 2010

potato salad tahini radish cucumber

Some dishes inspire me simply by their name. Potato salad. Salade de pommes de terre. I’ve always had a strong relationship with potato salads. Particularly my mother’s. She prepared hers at least once a week when I was growing up, using potatoes from her garden or my grandmother’s, which turned the salad into a dish that, my brother and I believed, couldn’t be equalled by any other. To this date, I still think that her salade de pommes de terre is the best I’ve ever eaten.

Perhaps then being married to an Irish man is no accident, after all. Potato salad is a dish, amongst many, that brings P. and I together. When that’s what we eat, nothing is ever left in our plates.

This scene, as a matter of fact, happened a few Mondays ago. Spontaneously. I had a bag of organic fingerling potatoes, des rattes, and a bunch of fresh watercress. I was craving food that would speak like spring. So I thought of making a potato salad with the first potatoes of the season, les pommes de terre nouvelles.

In this recipe, I added radish and cucumber that I decided to marinate beforehand, filling the vegetables with juice but leaving them with crunch. I then added tasty goat cheese and lightly sauteed asparagus to make a more complete meal. Simple but always inspiring and nourishing.


Lulu looked at the food but didn’t venture to try. That didn’t matter, though. One day, we told ourselves, we are convinced that she will understand her papa and maman‘s strong attachment to potatoes. And she’ll surely join in. It must be in our genes.

Both sides.

Right now, she is simply more interested in exploring other parts of the world than potatoes.

Potato salad with watercress, cucumber and radish

(For 4 people)

You need:

For the salad:

  • Sea salt and pepper
  • 1 lb fingerling potatoes
  • 3 pink radishes, finely sliced (use a mandolin)
  • 1 cup finely sliced English cucumber (use a mandolin)
  • 1/2 tablespoon blond cane sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 6 green or purple asparagus tips, sliced finely
  • Dash of ground coriander
  • Handful of watercress leaves, thoroughly cleaned
  • Crumbled semi-hard goat cheese, to taste

For the dressing:

  • Sea salt and pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Meyer lemon
  • 1 tablespoon tahini nut butter
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Chopped coriander or parsley

Steps:

  • Steam the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Let them cool. When they are cooled enough to be handled, peel and sliced them; set aside.
  • In a colander, add the cucumber and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes so that the cucumber release water. Drain and transfer to a bowl with the radish.
  • In a small bowl, combine the sugar and rice vinegar and stir well. Add to the cucumber and radish and toss well; set aside.
  • In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When warm, add the asparagus and a dash of coriander. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; set aside.
  • In a small bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and add the mustard and lemon juice. Stir and add the tahini and olive oil; whisk to emulsify.
  • In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, cucumber and radish, asparagus, goat cheese. Add the dressing and coat the salad with it.
  • Add the watercress leaves and toss gently. Serve.
Le coin français
Salade de pommes de terre au cresson, cocombre et radis

(Pour 4 personnes)

Ingrédients :

Pour la salade :

  • Sel de mer et poivre du moulin
  • 450 g de petites rattes
  • 3 radis, coupées en tranches très fines (utilisez une mandoline)
  • 1 petit concombre tranché finement (utilisez une mandoline)
  • 1/2 càs de sucre de canne blond
  • 1 càs de vinaigre de riz
  • 6 pointes d’asperge verte ou violette, coupées en petits bouts
  • Pointe de coriandre en poudre
  • Une poignée de cresson bien nettoyé
  • Fromage de chèvre mi-sec, en miettes (au goût)

Pour la vinaigrette :

  • Sel de mer et poivre du moulin
  • 1/2 càc de moutarde forte de Dijon
  • 1 citron
  • 1 càs de tahini (pâte de sésame)
  • 3 càs d’huile d’olive
  • Coriandre ou persil frais, haché

Etapes :

  • Faites cuire les pommes de terre dans de l’eau bouillante pendant 15 à 20 minutes, ou jusqu’à ce qu’elles soient tendres. Laissez-les refroidir, puis pelez et coupez-les en tranches; mettez-les de côté.
  • Dans une passoire, faites dégorger le concombre avec du sel (pendant 30 minutes). Mettez-le dans un bol avec les tranches de radis.
  • Dans un petit bol, mélangez le sucre avec le vinaigre et ajoutez cette sauce aux tranches de concombre et de radis. Mélangez bien et mettez de côté.
  • Dans une poêle, faites chauffer 1 càs d’huile d’olive sur feu moyen. Une fois l’huile chaude, ajoutez les dés d’asperges avec un peu de coriandre moulue. Assaisonnez de sel et de poivre et faites revenir pendant 2 minutes; mettez de côté.
  • Dans un petit bol, mettez une pincée de sel et de poivre. Ajoutez la moutarde et le jus de citron, puis le beurre de sésame et l’huile d’olive. Faites émulsionner la vinaigrette.
  • Dans un saladier, mélangez les pommes de terre, le concombre et radis, les asperges et le fromage de chèvre. Assaisonnez avec la vinaigrette.
  • Ajoutez le cresson et mélangez délicatement. Servez sans attendre.
Share and Enjoy:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Twitter
Tagged as: Appetizers , French Inspired , Gluten Free , Life and Us , Salad , Vegetarian
Save to del.icio.us

77 Comments »

The comments for this entry can be syndicated via RSS. You can trackback from your own site.

  1. Beautiful photos.
    Lulu is priceless and her sense of style is adorable.

    Comment by Monique — On April, 13th, 2010 at 7:12 pm

  2. Simply lovely. A breath of fresh air and delicious flavor.

    Comment by El — On April, 13th, 2010 at 8:06 pm

  3. Your photographs and foods are so gorgeous I can almost smell them!

    Comment by Ana — On April, 13th, 2010 at 8:21 pm

  4. I love reading and *looking at* your blog, and have recommended it to many of my gourmand friends. :) I grew up in Boston, so I especially appreciate your take on the city and the New England area as a chef de cuisine, photographer, and mother. It makes me homesick sometimes, in fact! Especially your posts about lobster. :)

    I wonder if you know that the flowering tree in your photos here is a serviceberry tree (alisier en français, dont le fruit est l’alise), whose berries can be used in baking (or eaten fresh, of course–they taste and look much like blueberries)? I am sure you could make something delicious with them.

    Comment by Elizabeth — On April, 13th, 2010 at 8:59 pm

  5. P.S. I mean the tree in the second two photos (multi-trunked, with thinner petals). The tree with white blossoms in the first two photos is an ornamental Pear, non?

    Comment by Elizabeth — On April, 13th, 2010 at 9:03 pm

  6. Fabulously-looking salad – a true joy to all senses. Adding watercress adds a whole new dimension to it, both visually and taste-wise. Thanks.

    Comment by Gosia — On April, 13th, 2010 at 9:33 pm

  7. Your pictures are magical

    Comment by WizzyTheStick — On April, 13th, 2010 at 9:54 pm

  8. I am convinced that only you could make potato salad look so beautiful. I’m sure you tire of hearing it, but you amaze me with every single thing you post.

    This recipe sounds fantastic, and a lot lighter than the potato salad that my family makes! I’d love to give it a try in the summer!

    Comment by Kaitlin — On April, 13th, 2010 at 9:55 pm

  9. This looks delicious and something I cannot wait to try once my diet is over! It looks good especially because of the lighter dressing :)

    Comment by Margarita — On April, 13th, 2010 at 10:00 pm

  10. Your world is beautiful!

    Comment by Golubka — On April, 13th, 2010 at 10:31 pm

  11. This recipe just sounds like a big bowl of Spring!

    Comment by Jacqui — On April, 14th, 2010 at 1:04 am

  12. Ah-mazing pictures! This potato salad is a must try. And no mayo too!

    Comment by South Campus Bakery — On April, 14th, 2010 at 1:16 am

  13. Une salade formidable et de superbes photos printanières!

    Bises,

    Rosa

    Comment by Rosa — On April, 14th, 2010 at 2:54 am

  14. I too love potato salad! In my home we did always make a lot of South German potato salad with fresh cucumber slices, onions (depending on season normal or spring onions) and with a dressing of oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, white pepper and herbs. Comfort food! I think that goat cheese will give a nice new taste. I sometimes make a potato salad with feta and it tastes wonderful.

    In Finland the new potatoes, the small, thin skinned you get just in summer and have to eat within a few days after harvesting, are always a big thing for everyone. They taste so good that people often eat them just with butter and dill. My personal favourit is new potatoes with herring, dill and butter. A scandinavian summer classic.

    Comment by Sini — On April, 14th, 2010 at 2:56 am

  15. Des photos magnifiques… le printemps vient d’entrer dans la pièce :-)

    Le salade de pommes de terre est aussi un plat que j’associe à l’enfance (ma madeleine de Proust en somme)… la mienne est d’origine alsacienne avec une sauce au vinaigre au miel (Melfor), à l’huile de tournesol, sel, poivre, l’incontournable (en Alsace!) condiment Maggi et la touche secrète qu’est un oeuf cru battu. Y ajouter des dés d’oignons dorés et des lamelles de cornichon aigre-doux…. laisser les pommes-de terre chaudes absorber la sauce durant quelques heures au frais.

    Comment by Valérie — On April, 14th, 2010 at 3:51 am

  16. I love potato salads so I`ll try yours for certain! :)

    Comment by My Delicious — On April, 14th, 2010 at 4:23 am

  17. This potato salad looks like none other I have seen before. And your pictures are beyond words!

    Comment by Joe @ Eden Kitchen — On April, 14th, 2010 at 4:32 am

  18. Delicious looking potato salad, so fresh, crisp and spring like! I’m a big fan of potatoes and any potato salad is always welcome on my table. You put together wonderful flavours, I really like the goat cheese in your recipe.
    Lulu is still so cute and grows so fast! Priceless.

    Comment by Sarka — On April, 14th, 2010 at 5:19 am

  19. Inspiring and refreshing as always. How sweet Lulu is!! Love the way you bring together your posts, and love your food styling…moorish!

    Comment by deeba — On April, 14th, 2010 at 5:54 am

  20. [...] Potato salad – Salade de pommes de terre (latartinegourmande.com) [...]

    Pingback by Growing a potato in my windowsill | SPUD AND POTATO — On April, 14th, 2010 at 6:10 am

  21. [...] Potato salad – Salade de pommes de terre (latartinegourmande.com) [...]

    Pingback by Growing and harvesting potatoes | SPUD AND POTATO — On April, 14th, 2010 at 6:13 am

  22. Your Lulu is simply adorable! And your recepies and photos always the best! Keep on!

    Comment by dora — On April, 14th, 2010 at 6:19 am

  23. [...] Potato salad – Salade de pommes de terre (latartinegourmande.com) [...]

    Pingback by Potato growing in a pot produce more potato’s | SPUD AND POTATO — On April, 14th, 2010 at 6:26 am

  24. j’essaie dès ce soir!

    Comment by Elisabelle — On April, 14th, 2010 at 7:02 am

  25. C’est grâce à l’émission d’Envoyé spécial que j’ai découvert votre petit monde merveilleux! Depuis je viens presque chaque jour prendre une bouffée d’air frais sur votre blog!
    Une douceur de vivre qui fait du bien! Merci merci merci beaucoup et bonne continuation!

    Comment by Ariane — On April, 14th, 2010 at 7:05 am

  26. i always love your food images and recipes but Lulu always takes the cake. so adorable with her little blanket.

    Comment by Aran — On April, 14th, 2010 at 7:45 am

  27. Wonderful! As soon as our new potatoes and the radishes in my garden are ready, I´ll follow this recipe :) . Thank you!

    Comment by Juc — On April, 14th, 2010 at 8:33 am

  28. Moi aussi j’adore la pomme de terre sous toutes ses formes ! Je vais tester cette salade ce we…
    J’en profite pour te féliciter pour ton passage à ‘envoyé spécial – la suite’
    C’est vraiment intéressant de te voir à l’oeuvre dans ton environnement…En tout cas tu nous inspire et je reste toujours émerveillée devant tes photos et ton talent !!

    Comment by midinettes — On April, 14th, 2010 at 8:57 am

  29. A potato salad with tahini nut butter dressing? I’m so glad your mother thought of that! Really looking forward to preparing this one.

    Comment by Morgan G — On April, 14th, 2010 at 9:17 am

  30. You manage to transform even the most simple thing to the most pretty and mouth watering salad.

    Comment by elra — On April, 14th, 2010 at 9:33 am

  31. Mmh j’adore également les pommes de terre, surtout les rattes, et quand vient le temps de les faire en salades c’est que le printemps s’annonce!

    Comment by clémence — On April, 14th, 2010 at 9:48 am

  32. I find it very hard to eat potato salad slowly. It’s always with greed and great satisfaction. I do love it. I also love how clever your recipe is. Cucumber, radish, feta, watercress…all great compliments. And those potatoes look amazing. Just amazing.

    Comment by Tracy — On April, 14th, 2010 at 10:19 am

  33. my mouth is watering! i tend to forget about potato salad, but i will make one for sure this week…
    and your lulu is the sweetest thing.

    Comment by beyond — On April, 14th, 2010 at 10:31 am

  34. Béa,

    I just saw a sample of a French school lunch menu at fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com. Did you eat this well at school too? Or did you go home for lunch? Yet one more reason to admire the French! Great looking salad!

    Comment by valérie-jeanne — On April, 14th, 2010 at 10:36 am

  35. I love this take on potato salad. I am a big fan of the first potatoes of the season too, I usually simply boil them or roast them, also because I don’t like mayo, but this recipe looks both simple and intriguing. Thanks.

    Comment by Caffettiera — On April, 14th, 2010 at 10:45 am

  36. your blog is just always so refreshing to read! a real “remonte moral” as we say =)

    thanks for being there when I need it, especially in this difficult period of time for me..

    Comment by Tamara — On April, 14th, 2010 at 1:29 pm

  37. ok la salade a l’air delicieuse etc etc…. mais ce que je prefere c’est la princesse et sa petite jupette qui swing….. quelle est chou cette cocotte !!!! elle, on pourrait la croquer ;)
    bonjour de Suisse !

    Comment by corinne — On April, 14th, 2010 at 2:04 pm

  38. Your photos always put me in a serene state of mind. They’re gorgeous. And this potato salad really does speak of spring.

    Comment by Alta — On April, 14th, 2010 at 2:08 pm

  39. What a fresh and colorful potato salad! As usual Lulu has the cutest outfit on.

    Comment by Nisrine — On April, 14th, 2010 at 4:59 pm

  40. What a combination of flavors! From the radishes in the salad to the tahini in the dressing, this is certianly no standard potato salad. Wow! I am so excited to try it out this weekend. Thank you!

    Comment by Katie @ Cozydelicious — On April, 14th, 2010 at 8:10 pm

  41. looks wonderful and would go quite well with the peppery radish slices. :-)

    Comment by Simon Food Favourites — On April, 14th, 2010 at 11:54 pm

  42. Je suis une grande fan de ton blog (pourtant c’est mon premier commentaire, trop impressionnée sans doute) et j’ai beaucoup apprécié de te voir dans l’émission “Envoyé Spécial la suite” avec les pêcheurs de homard. C’est très intéressant de voir d’abord les photos (sur ton blog) et ensuite un reportage sur la réalisation des ces photos !
    Je suis souvent très inspirée par les recettes que tu proposes, je suis d’ailleurs en train de faire cuire des pommes de terre pour faire une salade. Et j’adore tes photos, quand je vois ton travail je mesure l’étendue qu’il me reste à parcourir pour tenter d’égaler ton talent ! Merci…

    Comment by laetitia - CduBeau ! — On April, 15th, 2010 at 12:05 pm

  43. Not sure about the name of the trees but I am very glad that you told me! They are always striking me by how beautiful they are.

    Et merci à tous encore pour vos commentaires et mots très sympathiques. Thank you everyone for coming and brightening my day!

    As to comments about Lulu, to all of you, thank you. Yes Aran, she is the cherry on the cake for me too! Always! ;-)

    Comment by Béa — On April, 15th, 2010 at 6:31 pm

  44. i have a real love hate relationship with potato salads. I do love this idea of adding cucumber in; i’ll have to try it out. thanks for sharing, and as always for the lovely pictures.

    Comment by elizabeth @ sophisticated pie — On April, 15th, 2010 at 9:00 pm

  45. Je vais en profiter pour la faire ce we, contrairement à toi, chez moi nous ne mangions jamais de pomme de terre, cela rappelait de mauvais souvenir à mon père qui n’avait mangé que ça et des topinambours pendant la guerre. Je ne connait pas le Tahini par contre, mais je dois pouvoir en trouver sur Québec, merci encore pour ton blog magifique ! Isa

    Comment by isabelle — On April, 16th, 2010 at 9:13 am

  46. Hi:)
    Love your blog, just found it…when reading Maison …
    Wrote about you on my blog..hope thats oki?

    Have a nice day – SP

    Comment by soulprincess — On April, 16th, 2010 at 11:36 am

  47. Your photos are ALWAYS just SOOOOO beautiful! They are just so peaceful and honest.

    Comment by Rebecca — On April, 16th, 2010 at 3:07 pm

  48. A delicious take on potato salad, no doubt! And that dressing – I’m thinking it would be great on many things, no?

    So many salads being blogged about lately! A delightful celebration of Spring!

    Comment by Tara — On April, 16th, 2010 at 11:52 pm

  49. Je craque pour ton petit bout de chou !
    En robette printannière, on lui ferait plen de bisous,
    j’ai hâte de voir mon neveu chéri aussi…
    Je t’embrasse, te souhaite un beau printemps et plein de bonnes choses!
    bises
    lili

    Comment by lilizen — On April, 17th, 2010 at 3:00 am

  50. I usually shy away from potato salads because they tend to be too heavy on the cream or mayonnaise but yours looks absolutely wonderful! I will definitely give it a try. Thanks for sharing!

    Comment by Open to Grace — On April, 17th, 2010 at 4:27 am

  51. Bonjour
    Je me suis permis de référencer votre blog sur ma blogothèque http://blogotheque.gourmandenise.fr
    Si vous voulez, je peux vous envoyer le logo pour vos liens.
    J’aime particulièrement la passion qui transparait dans vos magnifiques photos.
    A bientôt
    Bien cordialement

    Comment by GourmanDenise — On April, 17th, 2010 at 9:34 am

  52. I would love to crawl into your blog and spend a spring day there. The potato salad will be my first course.

    Comment by Claudia — On April, 17th, 2010 at 5:51 pm

  53. Vraiment succulente!!!
    Merci pour ce blog!

    Comment by Mabulle — On April, 18th, 2010 at 7:26 am

  54. Faboulous salad !It’s like the spring that flowat in the air.
    I could never imagine that a potato salad could be so tasty and look so delicious.
    And I could never thought that you can combine watercress with goat cheese and cane sugar.
    This salad inspire me and I’m sure that I’ll try it.

    Comment by Mireille — On April, 19th, 2010 at 6:15 am

  55. I love your blog…your pictures are magnificient!!! thank you :)

    Comment by tiziana — On April, 19th, 2010 at 8:05 am

  56. I often make something similiar – love the combination of mustardy greens with potatoes. I’m soo jealous of your blossoming trees. It is cold cold cold here. XX

    Comment by Forage — On April, 20th, 2010 at 4:21 am

  57. This recipe looks delicious; since I am always looking for more recipes to use my sesame paste, I’ll be sure to make it soon. We all love potatoes in our house. My children love then “en robe des champs” or “sautees”!

    Comment by Gaelle@whatareyoufeedingyourkidsthesedays.com — On April, 20th, 2010 at 1:11 pm

  58. I can never find watercress at my store. What can I replace it with? The obvious seems to be spinach but I’m a little sick of spinach…

    Comment by Julie — On April, 20th, 2010 at 5:33 pm

  59. U haven’t updated your blog for couple of days..can;t wait for new pics..they are so cute.

    Comment by Tebonin — On April, 22nd, 2010 at 4:49 am

  60. Your photos are beautiful!
    The potato salad looks delish!

    Comment by Niki — On April, 22nd, 2010 at 8:30 am

  61. hi! i’am from mexico and i just adore your blog. I read it…always!
    beautiful photos, recipes and daughter!

    Comment by Elsa — On April, 22nd, 2010 at 2:14 pm

  62. What incredibly gorgeous pictures. They make the lowly potato seem regal and the baby… what a work of art!

    Comment by Deborah Dowd — On April, 23rd, 2010 at 8:24 pm

  63. Nice blog, nice words, le tout en anglais et français, chapeau!

    Comment by Marie — On April, 25th, 2010 at 7:50 am

  64. sigh. so lovely.

    Comment by molly — On April, 25th, 2010 at 5:38 pm

  65. I am so hungry now!

    Comment by Ann — On April, 27th, 2010 at 9:59 pm

  66. Cela fait plusieurs jours que je salive devant ce billet, il faut absolument que je goûte à ta recette!

    Comment by sooishi — On April, 28th, 2010 at 4:37 am

  67. These photos we awesome… As I have said before everytime I come here and look at your photos, I feel like I should just leave whatever I am doing get to the kitchen, cook something and take pictures….

    Thank you for sharing.

    Comment by Neel | Learn Food Photography — On April, 28th, 2010 at 4:27 pm

  68. Mmmmmh j’ai faim! Cette salade qui me donne l’eau à la bouche sera au menu de midi! Ici je trouve toujours de bonnes idées pour satisfaire toutes la famille ;-)
    Merci et bravo! Ton blog est un régal à parcourir!

    Comment by Priscille — On May, 1st, 2010 at 3:38 am

  69. La salade de pommes de terre, j’en rafole!
    Et mon plus après avoir fait une sauce normale, je rajoute un filet d’huile d’olive à la truffe ! Et là c’est le pur bonheur!!

    Comment by Geneva Market Store — On June, 6th, 2010 at 10:28 am

  70. What a light, refreshing looking salad. Now that it’s finally getting warm outside (silly Boston!) I can’t wait to give it a try.

    Comment by Laura T. — On June, 9th, 2010 at 10:27 am

  71. Very nice shots,congrats!

    Comment by Barbara — On June, 15th, 2010 at 6:02 am

  72. This salad was good, but I might suggest adding something to boost the flavor a little more. Also, if not eating all at one sitting, the cucumbers can get a little limp after a day or so. I like the varitey of veggies.

    Comment by Shana — On June, 20th, 2010 at 12:08 am

  73. Shana, thanks for the feedback. Any suggestion is more than welcomed.

    Comment by Béa — On June, 20th, 2010 at 5:45 am

  74. Love your food and pics. Amazing! Greeting from Munich.

    Comment by maria — On June, 21st, 2010 at 7:30 am

  75. Just had this for lunch..It was restaurant quality food out of MY kitchen! I was so pleased with how delicious and beautiful it was.

    Comment by megan — On June, 23rd, 2010 at 4:52 pm

  76. [...] from La Tartine Gourmande posted a potato salad recipe and some awesome potato salad photos. This post got about 75 comments in total (as of writing this article) and of these 75 comments, [...]

    Pingback by Food Photography Can Increase Reader Engagement on Your Food Blog by 300% – A Simple Study to Understand How to Create a Successful Food Blog | Learn Food Photography & Styling Blog — On July, 26th, 2010 at 12:03 pm

  77. [...] Potato Salad, also from La Tartine Gourmande [...]

    Pingback by Herbed Baby Dutch Potatoes — A Food Centric Life — On April, 6th, 2011 at 12:18 am

Leave a comment

Copyright © 2005 - 2012 by Béatrice Peltre. All rights reserved. Photo licensing info.