baby potato salad with dill & chive aioli

I remember watching my mom douse her french fries with malt vinegar when I was little. Why on earth anyone would want to ruin perfectly good french fries with vinegar was beyond me, especially when there was a full bottle of Heinz on the table. Fast forward 25 years and there are few things I love more than the combination of vinegar and potatoes. Salt & vinegar chips, vinegar-based potato salad and yes, even malt vinegar on my french fries. I totally get it now.

With it being Independence Day tomorrow, I whipped up a creamy, tangy aioli potato salad perfect for those backyard barbecues this weekend. It’s one of those sinfully amazing sides you swear has to be unhealthy. Our friends who tried it over the weekend even said so.

Sure there’s some mayo (come on, I could never omit it completely) but I halved the normal amount and replaced it with 2% Greek yogurt. The creamy yogurt, hearty splash of vinegar, a bit of cayenne, spicy mustard, loads of fresh dill and chives will make your vinegar + potato-loving tastebuds dance, I promise. I can’t wait to see my mom’s eyes light up when she gets a taste of this, this weekend.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 pounds small, red & white-skinned baby potatoes, unpeeled
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar (add 1-2 extra tablespoons if you really love vinegar & potatoes like I do)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Spicy Brown mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup green onions, sliced (optional)
• black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add whole, baby potatoes and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse potatoes with cool water and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes into quarters, transfer to a large bowl and coat with vinegar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, dill, chives, mustard, garlic and cayenne. Add mayonnaise mixture, green onions, potatoes and toss gently to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving with freshly ground black pepper.[/print_this]

Safe travels to all of you hitting the road today or tomorrow for your 4th festivities this week!