Making over potato salad...

I must have had potatoes on the mind when I was getting recipes together for this week! We used a few more so I could make this Potato, Chicken and Fresh Pea Salad for our dinner this evening.

After slicing up a pound of potatoes to get them all roughly the same size and on the stove to cook through, I quickly trimmed a couple handfuls of fresh sugar snap peas. I used those same colorful baby potatoes that we used on last Friday's pizza, but just as with that, you could use those slender fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes.

Just before the potatoes were done, we tossed the peas in to bounce around with them for just a quick two minutes to set their color and leave them crisp-tender. Once we drained away the water, we tossed those two with cooked chicken breast, tiny shards of red bell pepper and mild red onion. If the bite is still too strong for you using that raw red onion, try soaking the pieces in icy water for 10 to 20 minutes before using it. Jeff isn't the biggest fan, but he doesn't mind them when I do that. Before I started that, I would usually end up finding all of the little bits left on the plate when I went to wash them... he is good at zeroing in to pick out stuff he might not like! Unless I hide it well... hee hee - remember that dish filled with mushrooms?

This is a salad after all, so we did toss it with a wickedly easy, but darn tasty dressing. In a bowl, we whisked together extra-virgin olive oil with an equal amount of white wine vinegar and added Dijon, fresh lemon juice, fresh tarragon and a minced clove of garlic. Bright, tangy and that hint of licorice-flavored tarragon brought such a delightful and fresh coating which made this salad feel quite light.

The farmers markets still have a few weeks to go before they get going out here, but when they are in full force, I can see us making this pretty often by using their bounty of vegetables and a few pantry ingredients we always have on hand. What is great about this dish is the versatility of it - you could serve it warm right after everything is combined, let it sit around at room temperature if you're busy or even have it chilled for a refreshing lunch on a warm day!

Recipes
Potato, Chicken and Fresh Pea Salad