Simple Potato Salad (gluten-free, dairy-free)

It might be a little late for some homemade potato salad, but I just recently have been having a lot more potatoes available to me because they are finally in season here in Michigan. I love the local potatoes, they have more flavor and color and are not so dry and bland.  So I guess in Michigan, potato salad should be a late summer fall dish rather than a Memorial Day side dish. This salad was inspired by a local restaurant that I visit often with many great healthy choices. I truly love their potato salad and though I would try to make one on my own that I might enjoy at home. Homemade anything is always best! Look at those pretty local potatoes below... they are so wonderful.

I sometimes feel like my generation has lost the art or desire to make some of the traditional dishes at home. We go to a bulk store and buy tubs of coleslaw, potato salad and baked beans, but who knows how long is was sitting there and you would be absolutely surprised to what they really put in it. Recently I was at a family picnic and there was some potato salad that I wanted to check the packaging to see if there was any gluten in it, and there wasn't any gluten, but there was chemicals, preservatives, trans fats, dairy and the list wasn't anything pronounceable. Seriously! It's sad.... that is what really motivates me to keep making most all of my food in my own kitchen with only the best whole food ingredients. Why does eating away from your own kitchen have to be so hard? Don't ask me... but I do know that the more we encourage people to ask the deeper questions of what is in their food, the more we will see a response for what is best. It sometimes seems like you may be speaking a foreign language when you talk about vegetables and eating local, but you will not be sorry. You will find there is more nourishment, longevity, and hope for your life. Food does make a difference. It really does. Try it, I know you won't be disappointed.  So for the sake of avoiding chemicals....here is my homemade potato salad.

Homemade Potato Salad:

3 pounds of redskin potatoes (diced and chopped)

3/4 cup of organic mayonaise, or veganaise (egg-free mayo)

1/4 cup of organic mustard

1 cup of thinly diced sweet onion

1 red bell pepper finely chopped
1 cup of chopped celery

1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley

1  cup of shredded carrots

1 ts. of sea salt (more or sell to taste)

1 ts. of cracked pepper

1 ts. of paprika
1 ts. of ground dried garlic

Boil the diced potatoes in a large pot of boiling water for about 20 minutes, but keep checking after 15 minutes to see if the potatoes are soft enough. I like my potatoes a little crunchy so I usually cook not too long and so that they are not sliding off the knife when I check to see if they are ready. But if you like it a little softer, then maybe wait until that point then the potatoes fall off your knife, after you stab it to check for how cooked they are. 

After the potatoes are cooked, drain them and let them completely cool in a large bowl. Then add the chopped onion, carrots, and all the above ingredients and mix well. I set it sit in the fridge for a while before serving because it helps the flavors come together and it always tastes so good cold. It's that easy. Homemade potato salad in less than an hour. 

Enjoy!