MY POTATO SALAD

SERVES 6

MY POTATO SALAD encompasses a wildly varying number of other ingredients. Sure, potato salad can be made using only potatoes. But it’s so much more satisfying to add other vegetables, such as the sweet potato and rutabaga I use here. Enliven your potato salad with any firm-textured vegetable: on the lighter side, avocado and artichoke; or on the more substantial, carrots, fennel, and celery root. Homemade mayonnaise brings these humble ingredients together, and it makes all the difference in this salad. Scatter plenty of fresh herbs over the top before serving.

Salt

1 rutabaga, peeled

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled

1 sweet potato, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

6 scallions (white and pale green parts), sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 small red onion, minced

2 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish

Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1½ tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 recipe Mayonnaise (here)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat and add 2 pinches salt. Add the rutabaga and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the Yukon Golds and sweet potatoes and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes more.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and scallions and sweat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and a pinch of salt and sweat for another couple minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl, add the red onions, horseradish, parsley, and chives, and stir until combined.

Drain the rutabaga and potatoes and remove the skin from the potatoes. Then dice the potatoes and rutabaga. Add them to the onion mixture, along with about two-thirds of the mayonnaise, the vinegar, and pepper. Gently stir to combine, adding a little more mayonnaise and/or vinegar, if needed.