From Johnna’s Kitchen: Perfect Potato Salad
Whether you say po-TAY-to, or po-TAH-to, you’ll likely agree that potato salad is a classic favorite at any party!
Here’s a few fun facts about the sturdy spud:
- The potato is the most universally grown crop in the world.
- The Inca people of Peru were growing potatoes in the Andes Mountains as far back as 200 B.C.
- The Incas used the potato to treat injuries. They also thought it made childbirth easier.
- Potatoes were often eaten aboard ships to prevent scurvy because they are loaded with vitamin C.
- Potatoes were the first food to be grown in space. In 1996, potato plants were taken into space with the space shuttle Columbia.
- The world’s largest potato was grown in the UK in 2010. It tipped the scales at 3.76 kilograms (8 lb 4 oz) – the weight of a newborn baby!
- Potatoes are environmentally friendly. They’re easy to grow and don’t require massive amounts of water, fertilizer, or chemicals to thrive.
Potato Salad
Ingredients:
5 lbs. Potatoes, peeled
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 cups mayonnaise
Dash of yellow mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon celery seed
Directions:
Cover potatoes with water in and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-20 minutes. Drain and cool slightly before cutting into cubes.
Combine onion, celery, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, and celery seed in large bowl. Add potatoes and toss gently. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Buffalo chicken wings were said to be created in Buffalo, NY at Anchor Bar. Buffalo wings got their own day when the town’s Mayor Stan Makowski claimed it in 1977 because “thousands of pounds of chicken wings are consumed by Buffalonians in restaurants and taverns throughout the city each week.”
Baked, fried, grilled – however you slice it, zucchini is a healthy dish that can be a sturdy side, or the star of the show on the dinner plate. And it’s as low in calories as it is healthy! One cup of sliced zucchini has about 19 calories. That’s 40 to 50 percent lower than the same serving size for other low-cal green veggies like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Italians are thought to have bred modern zucchini from the squash they picked up in colonial America – “zucca” is actually the Italian word for squash. That’s why you’ll see zucchini referred to as “Italian squash” in some recipes. The crop dates back to 5500 B.C., where it was integral in the diets of people living in Central America and South America. Did you know zucchini are part of the gourd family? Native to Central America and Mexico, zucchini are grown throughout the United States during the warm season. Most zucchini grow about the size of a small bush, so if you want to grow your own, plant zucchini anytime after the danger of frost has passed.
This easy appetizer recipe will be the hit of any summer BBQ, since the fruity flavors complement almost any type of meat. Cream cheese can be used in many sweet and savory dishes and has flavors that can be enhanced by adding everything from fresh herbs and vegetables to fruits, chocolate, and smoked fish.
Italians don’t eat eggs for breakfast as a rule, but do enjoy them as a quickly cooked second course at lunch.