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Wildflower
Jun 3rd, 2006, 05:34 PM
This is a recipe I made up based off potato salad that I have had in coffee shop/bakery kinda places. Those dishes have feta cheese, which I now leave out. If you know of a good feta subsitutuite - throw it in! :)

Ingredients
red potatoes, cleaned and cut into wedges (i leave the skins on)
grape tomatoes (these may be what others are calling baby cherry tomatoes? not sure...tiny little tomatoes that are more oval than round)
kalamata olives (take out the stones and rip them open in half)
bit of torn fresh spinach for color
fresh garlic (whole cloves; chopped finely if not using a food processor)
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt (I like RealSalt)
cracked black pepper, or whole peppercorns if you are using a food processor/blender
optional - feta cheese substuite, or tiny amounts of tofu, juice of fresh lemon and oregano

I generally use about 3 pounds of potatoes, but I do a lot of guestimating, so it really depends in how much you like the ingredients...

Method
Clean and cut 3 pounds of potatoes into wedges. Boil until tender with a fork, but not too soft (from the time the water in boiling, it should take about 10 minutes) Drain and immedietely run potatoes under cold water until no longer hot. You can also add ice to your colainder to help. When potatoes are no longer hot (but still warm), put in a bowl in the fridge to chill.

When potatoes have chilled, start on the dressing. You can use either a bowl with a wisk, or a food proccesser/blender. If you use a food processor, the dressing with become firm and creamy like a mayonaisse. In a bowl, it will stay more of an oil/vineger dressing. Try it both ways. I probably prefer it with a wisk. Also, if using not using a food processer, chop the garlic finely and crack the peppercorns first - other wise you can throw them in whole.

Mix together (with a wisk, or in a food processor) 3/4 cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic (if you are not big on garlic, use 1), a good shaking of fresh cracked black pepper or about 5 whole peppercorns, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust to your liking. Then add in about a good shaking (2 - 4 T) balsamic vinegar. Blend until creamy and mayonaisse like, or wisk until combined. Taste and adjust to your liking. You can also add in some fresh lemon juice and a bit of dried oregano.

Pour over chilled potatoes, and stir until fully coated. If you think it looks like it needs more dressing - make up another batch and throw it on! :p Generally, I find the seasoning (garlic/pepper, etc) is enough, but it may need more olive oil/vinegar). Add in about a 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, 1 cup grape tomatoes and a few leaves of spinach. Chill.

You may find the potatoes soak up a lot of the dressing, so if it has been in the fridge a few days, you can add more olive oil and or vinegar. I would just wisk together vinegar and olive oil and leave out the garlic, salt, pepper. But whatever you like!

Eat and enjoy! :)

veganwitch
Jun 3rd, 2006, 05:48 PM
Wildflower, that sounds SO GOOD!! Thanks for posting it, I can't wait to try it. I am headed to the market later today so I will pick up the ingredients I need. :D

Wildflower
Jun 3rd, 2006, 05:54 PM
Oh cool - I hope it turns out Ok since I just kinda go by "what looks right to me". LOL! I hope I got all the measurements right...I may actually use part of a 5 lb bag of potatoes...

Let me know...maybe I can help adjust. The next time I make it, I will definately measure. Every time I make it everyone eats it up though, so I guess it must be good!

veganwitch
Jun 3rd, 2006, 06:55 PM
Question about the olives...do you buy them loose floating around in liquid? Are they in a jar or what? I'll have to check out the olive situation at my store. I know they have an "olive bar" but since it is right in front of the deli, I've never inspected it too closely.

For some reason I've always wondered or suspected that olives (more whtat they are cured in ) may not all be vegan?

tabitha
Jun 3rd, 2006, 07:02 PM
That looks lovely! Im having that tomorrow:D I buy my olives in olive oil with whole cloves of garlic. The garlic tastes delicious - I just eat whole cloves with the olives. Ok, so I may not be popular.....:D

Tigerlily
Jun 3rd, 2006, 10:29 PM
Yum! Can I use other kinds of olives? I just got a whole bunch of black and green olives from the Middle East.

Wildflower
Jun 3rd, 2006, 11:13 PM
Question about the olives...do you buy them loose floating around in liquid? Are they in a jar or what? I'll have to check out the olive situation at my store. I know they have an "olive bar" but since it is right in front of the deli, I've never inspected it too closely.

For some reason I've always wondered or suspected that olives (more whtat they are cured in ) may not all be vegan?

I buy them from an olive bar, deli, or you can get them in a jar from the olive aisle. They will probably be cheaper by the pound - you'll want about 1/4 lb.

Olives are vegan - unless they are suffed with meat or cheese (anchoives are popular, and I have seen blue cheese or provolone stuffed ones).

They are cured in olive oil, or brine (salt water). Sometimes they add herbs and spices like Tabith mentioned.

Wildflower
Jun 3rd, 2006, 11:16 PM
Tabitha - I love those garlic stuffed olives too! The ones we have here are really not so garlicky (heehee, that's what I think anyway...:rolleyes: , I don't know about those around me!:D )

Tigerlily - I think any olives would work, it would just taste different - I love all olives, so use what you have on hand!

Tigerlily
Jun 3rd, 2006, 11:22 PM
They are cured in olive oil, or brine (salt water). Sometimes they add herbs and spices like Tabith mentioned.

:) My grandmother adds lemon wedges, a few bits of hot pepper, and garlic cloves to hers. YUM.

Wildflower
Jun 3rd, 2006, 11:23 PM
Mmmm.. *drool*

I love love love olives! I swear, they are my favorite food!

Tigerlily
Jun 3rd, 2006, 11:26 PM
They are mine too. :)

Wildflower
Jun 3rd, 2006, 11:28 PM
Cool! :D Most people I know won't even eat them - I swear they are missing out...they must have had bad ones like shrivled up on pizza or something. :rolleyes:

Not that there are bad olives...:o

veganwitch
Jun 4th, 2006, 05:23 AM
I just finished dinner which included....drum roll please.....Wildflower's Famous Delicious Greek Potato Salad. YUMMY!!

I pretty much followed your directions. I peeled my potatoes though because I couldn't get organic ones and since it was late I didn't even let the salad chill. We couldn't wait and just ate it (there are leftovers chilling now in fridge). I also made faux feta for the first time and added that. Got the recipe in La Dolce Vegan. Next time I am going to leave out the feta and do the lemon w/ oregano and see which one I like better.

Just thanks again Wildflower :D I love having a new recipe w/ my favorite food in it (potatoes!) :p

Wildflower
Jun 4th, 2006, 05:50 AM
Oh cool - you liked it then? :o I hope so...I wasn't sure I explained it right.

I have never had "faux feta", but a lot of people seem to make recipes from La Dolce Vegan that look pretty good. I may have to get that book. :)

veganwitch
Jun 4th, 2006, 06:16 AM
Oh cool - you liked it then? :o I hope so...I wasn't sure I explained it right.

Are you kidding. I loved it...so did my hubby. I got stuffed or I would have had more. You explained it perfectly. I seem to cook the way you do. I like how you worded it...guesstimating. It works for me.




I have never had "faux feta", but a lot of people seem to make recipes from La Dolce Vegan that look pretty good. I may have to get that book. :)

I have all 3 of those books and I use them constantly. La Dolce Vegan is definitely worth it.

Wildflower
Jun 5th, 2006, 02:35 AM
:D

Cool!

Sorry, that was my insane worry-wort side speaking! :o ;)

I definately would like to get La Dolce Vegan, but I find I really don't use the cookbooks I have. I kinda just make stuff up, or get recipes off of here or other websites. I am not sure I have ever once made a recipe from any of my cookbooks, to be honest. LOL. :o I like to read them though to get ideas. :)

veganwitch
Jun 5th, 2006, 01:22 PM
:D
that was my insane worry-wort side speaking! :o ;)


Oh boy, do I ever understand!! Worrier of the highest order here ;)




I definately would like to get La Dolce Vegan, but I find I really don't use the cookbooks I have. I kinda just make stuff up, or get recipes off of here or other websites. I am not sure I have ever once made a recipe from any of my cookbooks, to be honest. LOL. :o I like to read them though to get ideas. :)

I'm impressed that all the yummy foods you make are your own creations. Maybe you should WRITE a cookbook!!! I am cookbook obsessed and literally have hundreds of them. Very few are vegan (under a dozen anyway) but I just adapt non-vegan recipes and experiment. Of course now there are so many more vegan cookbooks available that I can see myself accumulating even more :rolleyes: (but packrat-ness is another thread...)

tabitha
Jun 5th, 2006, 04:26 PM
I have loads of cookbooks also! Very rarely cook anything out of them though. I just like looking at them:D

Are olives good for you do you think?

veganwitch
Jun 5th, 2006, 07:17 PM
Good question Tabi, I wonder about that myself. I would think they are okay except the the high salt content I suspect they have. We'll see what Wildflower says...she is the olive goddess!

Wildflower
Jun 6th, 2006, 12:31 AM
Hee hee - maybe I should change my user name! :D

I think olives are healthy - but they can be packed in salt, which of course is not the healthiest. I have gotten lye-cured oil-packed olives before, but I really like the salty taste. Of course, most people think olive oil is healthy, and it comes from olives! :D Olives are a great source of monunsaturated fats.

According to this link, olives are high in polyphenols. "Olives contain substances that are believed to help us to ward off cancer, polyphenols. Polyphenols give the olive its taste and aroma. One of the polyphenols found in olives is thought to act as an anti-inflammatory." from http://www.shakeoffthesugar.net/article1037.html

So I could be preventing cancer from eating all these olives, who knew! :)

Wildflower
Jun 6th, 2006, 12:36 AM
I have loads of cookbooks also! Very rarely cook anything out of them though. I just like looking at them:D

Well, glad I am not alone on this one!

Veganwitch - I would love to write my own cookbook. I think I will probably write at least a family cookbook some day - you know, to pass on to my kids I don't have yet! :p

I would be more than happy to share the recipes of stuff I eat, just let me know the next time I post something and I'll let you know. :)

veganwitch
Jun 6th, 2006, 01:54 AM
I would be more than happy to share the recipes of stuff I eat, just let me know the next time I post something and I'll let you know. :)

Great, thanks :D