French Potato and Tomato Salad

French Potato and Tomato Salad by Jonathan Bardzik

Recipe excerpt from:
Simple Summer: a recipe for joy and connection (Second Edition)
by Jonathan Bardzik

Serves 6-8

With summer’s smoky, rich, grilled meats, breads and starchy vegetables like corn, skip the mayo and use a light vinaigrette for pasta and potato salads. It holds up better under outdoor heat too.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds fingerling potatoes
  • 4 tbs chopped herbs like tarragon, basil, parsley and chives
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

For dressing:

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup Champagne vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2/3 cup olive oil – the good stuff!

Directions:

Boil potatoes in salted water. When you can easily pierce them with a knife, with just a little resistance remaining in the center, drain and rest while starting your vinaigrette.

Make dressing: Sprinkle garlic generously with coarse salt and mash into a paste by dragging it across your cutting board with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Place garlic paste in a medium bowl with vinegar and mustard. Season with pepper and whisk to combine. Set aside and let rest for 15-20 minutes while flavors combine. Drizzle oil into vinegar mixture, while whisking, to form a creamy emulsion.

Assemble salad: When potatoes are just cool enough to handle, cut into 1” pieces. Add to large bowl with herbs and garlic and toss together. Let rest for five minutes while the hot potatoes release flavorful oils from the garlic and herbs, then dress your salad to coat with 2/3 cup vinaigrette. Set potatoes aside for 15-20 minutes to absorb dressing.

Toss tomatoes into salad and add additional dressing as needed. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional fresh herbs as desired.

TIP: If you can’t find fingerlings, use another low-starch potato like baby reds or Yukon Gold.