You say potato

From the Recipe Box

In an attempt to blog more regularly (even when there's not a whole lot going on), I'm going to try to post a recipe every week. If you'd like to share a recipe that you like making this time of year, leave it in the comments!

There is some disagreement as to the provenance of this next recipe. Tres thinks he made it up last winter, but I think it might have been me. Regardless, both of us completely forgot all about it until this week, when I had a sudden visceral memory of its deliciousness and made it the next night. It's not complicated and, as you will see by my ingredient descriptions, certainly not a precise recipe. For our dinner, I would estimate I used about a pound and a half each potatoes and beets, two large pickle spears, and 4 slices of bacon (ours is made by Tres's cousin and, I would say, a bit smaller than store bought), which made enough for dinner and lunch for us both the next day.

Someday I'll either get better at taking photos

or get a better camera, but until then, you'll

just have to take my word that it tastes better

than it looks

Potato Beet Salad

potatoes

beets (I like an equal amount of each, but you can mix to your preference)

pickles, chopped

bacon, crumbled and fat reserved

olive oil (if needed)

cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

sour cream

Peel the potatoes and beets (if some are really big, cut them so that everything is about uniform in size) and boil them until soft, about half an hour. Check earlier, to be sure they aren't overcooked - the potatoes will likely cook faster than the beets, so be sure to check them both as they're cooking (a soft potato is no biggie, but a super crunchy beat is not so delicious). Drain and chop into bite-sized pieces (they will be hot, so you might let them cool a few minutes first). Mix potatoes, beets, chopped pickle, and bacon in a large bowl. Drizzle with bacon fat until all is lightly coated (if there's not enough - add a little oil). Sprinkle on cider vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Top with a dollop of sour cream (I like to mix everything together at this point, but that's really up to you).

This recipe could easily be tweaked any number of ways. I've made it without bacon and it's quite delicious too. Fresh dill is also an excellent addition, as are shredded carrots. Maybe a little garlic? Caramelized onion? There are lots of possibilities. If you feel like you need a little more for your dinner, consider accompanying it with bread and or hard boiled eggs, or have it as a side dish with something more substantial.

And now, gratuitous baby photo time:

check out that drool!