Warm and Tangy Potato Salad

What I was going for here was that deeply satisfying texture and taste, both tangy and mellow, that evokes Bavaria and has you looking around for a stein of beer and longing for an accordian player to stroll by playing a polka. I think I succeeded.

Stir in chopped, fried natural bacon if that's your thing. Grainy mustard is nice, but Dijon works fine. Don't have parsley? Other greenery would work. I imagine the hardy inventors of this salad, hunched over their simmering potato pots, just used what they had on hand.

Natural sausages served with hot sauerkraut from a jar are all you need with this salad for a great meal. And maybe some applesauce.

This recipe is the product of countless musings through the years over endless recipes for German potato salad, of which there are as many versions as there are Moms and Grandmas, with modern tweakings by offspring who blog about their supposed improvements to the original. Oops. Guess that's me ...

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WARM AND TANGY POTATO SALAD

5 medium CSA russet potatoes (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or agave syrup
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup chopped CSA parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Peel potatoes and toss with olive oil to coat. Roast at 350 degrees for an hour or so or until potatoes are cooked but not falling apart.

In small bowl, mix vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt.

While potatoes are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet. Add chopped red onion and saute for a few minutes, then add vinegar mixture and cook for a few minutes until heated. Don't let the onions get soft; they should be slightly firm.

Slice potatoes in 1/4-inch slices (or dice or chunk them) into a mixing bowl. Pour onion/dressing mixture over, and stir to coat potatoes. Stir in parsley and capers, and let sit for 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, so the dressing can absorb. Serve warm, sprinkled with optional smoked paprika.