Italian Potato-Basil Salad

Side Dish

Preparation

 Ingredients
makes 8-10 servings

½ cup Monini Extra Virgin Olive Oil

24 small new red, yellow, or white potatoes, scrubbed (not peeled)
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 medium red onion, minced
12 large leaves fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped chives

¼ cup freshly chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation 

Bring the potatoes to boil in a medium, covered pot with salted water. Boil until tender but not falling apart, about 12 minutes. Drain and let cool at least 10 minutes. When cool is enough to handle but still warm, peel the potatoes and slice them ½ inch. Transfer to large mixing bowl. To make the pesto, puree the basil, olive oil, garlic, onions, chives, parsley and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Pour over the potatoes, mix gently, and set aside for at least 1 hour to let the flavor meld. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Add an extra touch

MONINI ORIGINALE

(courtesy of Mark Strausman Executive Chef at Freds at Barneys, NY)

PRO TIP: LETTING THE POTATOES COOL ALLOWS THE STARCH TO REABSORB AND KEEPS THEM FROM GETTING GUMMY

CHEF

Mark Strausman

James Beard Award nomination in 2008, MARK STRAUSMAN is a native New Yorker. His 30+ years career started in 1988 with the opening of icon restaurants like Sapore di Mare in East Hampton, New York and Coco Pazzo on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Freds Executive Chef Since 1994, including Barneys New York Madison Avenue flagship store, then Scottsdale, Chicago, and Dallas and lately Barneys NY Downtown. Guest appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, CNN, The Today Show, The CBS Early Show, regular guest on Martha Stewart Living, and numerous programs on The Food Network. Mark is the author of three cookbooks, all of which received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly. “The Campagna Table”, “ Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen”, co-authored with Pino Luongo, and “Freds at Barneys Cookbook”.