Oh, long weekend, we will miss you dearly!
It rained yesterday on and off but we still managed to get some work done outside. Eric finished installing the railing posts and he started the fascia boards along the edge. It gives a lovely polished effect!
Meanwhile, I tended to the garden beds while the worms tended to my soil. ;)
We also put together my new compost bin that was a birthday gift from my in-laws.
She’s a beauty, isn’t she? I believe my transition into a tree-huggin, hippy, vegan is now complete. ;)
A compost bin can cut your waste by over 25%, according to the manual. I would guess that our compost is at least 50% of our ‘waste’…vegans go through a lot of compost materials in a week! Our area has a separate compost collection in addition to blue bin and garbage pick-up, but I’d rather use it for the garden anyday.
Thankfully, the rain stopped and the sun came out just in time for the BBQ. While Eric worked his magic, I prepared a lovely asparagus and potato salad.
I adapted the recipe from a pamphlet by Foodland Ontario. I picked it up when I bought the local asparagus and I had my eye on the recipe all weekend long!
The directions said to steam the potatoes and asparagus, but I decided to roast the potatoes in a bit of olive oil, salt, minced garlic, and pepper. They are just fantastic prepared this way and their flavour really pops.
Meanwhile, I made the dressing and I was able to cut down the oil by 80% with a few minor adjustments.
I used some fresh chives from the garden…along with fresh dill, green onion, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, etc. The dressing has a great kick to it!
I also sautéed the asparagus in a little olive oil and Herbamare just before the potatoes were finished baking.
Then, all you do is mix everything together and you have yourself a delicious warm asparagus and potato salad to enjoy with a BBQ.
We also debated grilling the potatoes and asparagus on the BBQ, but we ran out of space because our BBQ is small and has a flame coming through on one side….don’t ask. Our friend gave it to us for free. ;)
The burgers:
These Amy’s burgers are good, but they are their best when grilled on the BBQ. They are an ‘omnivore-friendly’ veggie burger and everyone always seems to enjoy them. Sometimes Eric also BBQ’s beef or chicken, but he was out and the stores were closed for the holiday.
My first shot…
(notice all the empty space in the photo)
My last shot…
(space is filled in the background)
The potato salad was divine. This was my first vegan potato salad and I was really impressed. Normally, I’m not a big potato salad fan, but this recipe changed my mind. Probably because it wasn’t drenched in mayonnaise and served cold. :)
If you are looking for a fun & delicious warm potato salad I definitely recommend this one.
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Asparagus and Potato Salad
Adapted from Foodland Ontario.
Yield: about 4-5 servings
Roasted Potatoes:
- 2 lbs potatoes (I used organic Russet), washed & chopped into 1” pieces
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Dressing:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1.5 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup (see note below)
- 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 bunch green onion, finely chopped
Sautéed Asparagus
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends broken off and chopped into 1” pieces
- extra virgin olive oil + 1/4 tsp Herbamare (or salt), for sautéing
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F. In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes and seasonings. Lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment or non-stick mat. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing once half-way through baking. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
3. Sautee the asparagus in a little oil and salt over low-medium heat for about 8 minutes, until tender and crisp.
4. Mix the potatoes, asparagus, and dressing together in a large mixing bowl and season to taste. Serve immediately, warm. Makes about 4-5 servings.
Note: I used just a touch of maple syrup to balance out the dressing. You could also use a touch of sugar or other sweetener. Or simply do not use it at all. I thought it balanced it out really well and you couldn’t detect the maple.
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Off to tackle the work week. Happy Tuesday!
Putting this on my dining request too for my upcoming visit. Looks so delicious!
Your list is getting long! haha ;)
Ha Ha — it’s because you make everything look so tempting!
My mom leaves these kinds of coments on my blog too. It makes me giggle to see she’s not alone!
:)
I love that your mom reads and comments on your blog! SO sweet! And the recipe looks fab btw! I’ve made something similar but with sweet taters!
Angela, loving this vegan potato salad!! Beautiful clicks too :) xo
This meal would be perfect for Memorial Day weekend here in the states!
Ooh I love the sound of the dressing – super flavourful! I’m glad you got your compost bin for your birthday. She IS a beauty indeed! ;) Have a fabulous day Ange!
THe salad reminds me of summer :) And I love that you can use herbs from your garden! That is SO nice, because u can throw them in anything and add flavor to all your dishes!
I agree, its great!
I definitely dont care for potato salad either because of the mayo (and I’ve never had a desire to try veganaise), but I love the idea of this! I made an avocado and dill cream sauce for a potato salad a bit ago and it was fantastic – anything to ditch the mayo!
Great idea to roast the potatoes first. I’m thinking it would be delicious to grill potatoes on a barbecue before making a potato salad, as an adaptation.
Your garden is coming along well! Isn’t it wonderful to have fresh herbs to choose from? I have a ton of oregano in the garden now, so I’m thinking that an experiment with oregano pesto is on the menu today. :) Happy Tuesday!
I have been looking for a potato salad recipe! This one looks very versatile, too. I love cold taters so I’ll probably use some red baby bliss ones + other random veg. yummmerzzz
This recipe looks so good! I am going home this weekend for my sister’s graduation and was asked to make some salads for the after-party. Now I definitely know one that I’ll be making ;) I have really enjoyed every recipe of yours that I’ve made-thanks!
Thanks Laura :) Enjoy!
Jackie had a great idea – I’m going to a Memorial Day party this weekend and I’ll probably make this to bring with me. Thanks!
this salad looks delicious I love warm salads
I was curious about your opinion of using sweet potaotes instead of Russet/white potatoes. I no longer to “white” ingredients due to health reasons. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Yolanda
This might be the potato salad to end my potato salad aversion! I can’t stand the cold, thick, mayo based ones either.
:) can i have a dining list too for when i come to visit you? lol osg mom is right everything looks so freakin good!!
I love warm potato salads! they are so good and perfect for summer. I”m going to have to try bbqing amy’s burgers, i bet they are so good that way.
haha sure why not ;)
I may be the only person in America who doesn’t like potatoes… but this looks so appetizing! Do you think it would work with daikon radish or sunchokes?
Not sure! Im sure you could Whip up something wonderful!
Can’t say that I would ever choose a “typical” sweet potato salad, but as always with your beautiful photos and delicious recipes, you may have changed my outlook. The veggie burgers look divine too! Do you have a veggie burger recipe that you would say has a comparable taste? I am a veggie burger lover!
Have a great day!
Liz
I love the chickpea burgers on my recipe page, but I havent made them in a long time!
“I believe my transition into a tree-huggin, hippy, vegan is now complete”–
No, it’s not. You would need to move to either So Cal by me or the Bay Area. Then, it would be complete :)
I dont love potato salad either…I do love mayo so that’s not it, but something about refrigerated, cold potatoes is just not my thing but now WARM tater salad, now we’re talking. And with asparagus. Which is my fave veggie in the spring/summer…mmmm, good!
And thanks for the review on those Amy’s AND for the photography evolution shots. What you added/removed. I love those types of shots and info :)
haha you are so right…and I could eat at vegan restaurants and cafes every week too. ;)
long weekends DO go so fast!
you will really notice a difference with your composter! our condo building added in this option this winter, and i can’t believe how long i can now go before filling the garbage bag. do enjoy! i love that your inlaws gave you a present that is “so you,” and not what THEY wanted you to want (if that makes sense!).
Yes they do!
My MIL is a huge fan of composting so I think she was proud when she found out I wanted one…heh
Wow that salad looks divine! I also hate potato salads due to the mayonnaise in them. I will definitely be trying out this one sometime this summer!
I’m curious to learn more about composts. Is there any reason to have one if you don’t have a garden?
You can use the soil for flowers beds and also for the lawn (filling in patches, etc). Other than that, im not sure, but im sure there are other uses!
The salad looks delicious Angela! And I love that you used some Herbamate — they had that ingredient on a cooking challenge show a few weeks ago and the chefs were stumped on what to do with it!
Potato salad is one of my all-time favorite summer dishes! I love the addition of asparagus here– great for summer OR spring!!
I really like the idea of composting. I think its a great way to deal with some unavoidable waste and give back to the Earth.
I am always eating asparagus and eat them the same way almost everytime. This looks like a great way to change it up! I ate turkey burgers last night and use whole wheat english muffins as well! That’s the best way I think :)
It was our first time having english muffins (the eziekel ones) and Eric preferred them to regular buns. They were quite fun!
I love pretty much anything potato related, and this looks right up my alley! I love how you can take something delicious and make it look even more mouthwatering!
I’m hoping to at least start a compost this summer!! I love that you roasted the potatoes. Definitely the way to go. Looks fab!
How lucky are we here in Ontario that BBQ season and Asparagus season start at just the same time. Funny how that happens… :)
This salad looks amazing!! I don’t like the mayo-drenched salads either, so this is an awesome looking variation. I’m pretty much a fan of anything with asparagus; I just might give this a try tonight.
…now that looks like my kind of potato salad!!! I’m going to have to remember this for my family BBQ. We are from Texas, so they will enjoy their beef and I’ll bring the potato salad! lol.
p.s. I love Amy’s Texas burgers (and not just cause they say Texas;)
This looks so good. I thought of you when I saw this recipe today. I’m going to have to try both!
http://www.theppk.com/2011/05/creamy-avocado-potato-salad/
I just received a bunch of potatoes in my CSA box and was wondering what to do with them. Now I know! I wonder if it would still taste good eaten cold as leftovers the next day?
I tried it cold today and it wasnt as good as warm, but it was still yummy!
Delicious! Already had all the ingredients that needed to be used up IMMEDIATELY so this was the perfect thing to make. And it was SO good :) I do have leftovers so maybe I’ll try to warm them up a bit tomorrow before indulging….
Food looks delicious!
I have a certain landscaping project in the coming months and I’m totally overwhelmed. I need to go invest in a few books. The deck looks gorgeous!
This looks so good!
Great twist to a potato salad. I still haven’t decided what I’m making for Memorial Day Weekend — this just moved to the top of the list!
I have that same compost bin. I highly recommend making sure to add the browns. Big produce eaters tend to have a compost with way more greens (carbon, aka food scraps) than browns (nitrogen aka lawn clippings, etc.). There needs to be a balance for the compost to work.
Good luck!
This salad looks fantastic! I think it’s going on the meal plan for an upcoming weekend bbq!
You and your new compost bin are making me actually want to use the one that’s been sitting in my back garden ever since I moved in …. 5 years ago! ;)
That burger looks super yummy! And I love roasted potatoes! Any roasted veggie is awesome :D
That worm is huge!
The potato salad and burgers look awesome. What a great summertime meal!
I happened to pick up a bunch of asparagus over the weekend and wasn’t sure what to do with it–I think I’ve just found what! I love warm potato salads and this one sounds fabulous. :) Glad you had a good long weekend!
Yum that salad looks delicious! I love roasted potatoes!
Sounds delicious! I bet the creaminess of the potato is perfect with the asparagus !
yum! just posted a garden update and realized we have a LOT of potatoes growing :) this dish will come in handy then!
I am making this tonight! I’m a fan of potato salad, but I also am not a fan of it being so full of mayo and cold:( But this looks amazing!
Do you put worms in your raised gardens and compostings intentionally? they gross me out (I’m 3 years old still)
This looks amazing!!! I just learned to love asparagus and this looks like an awesome way to eat it with my most favourite food: potatoes! Definitely on my list of recipes to try and I think I will take it to my next potluck! Thanks for always posting the best recipes and such drool-worthy photos!
That recipe will be perfect to make for this weekend… My birthday is Sunday and I am making some vegan dishes for the non-vegans in my family. I think they will enjoy this dish, thanks for another great idea!
I’m so jealous of the composting bin! We are in a condo and they don’t take kindly to that but boy once we’re in a “house house” I’m jumping on the bandwagon! That recipe looks awesome! Love asparagus!
That salad looks fantastic! What a great alternative to regular potato salad… which is (most of the time) awful! I love your recipes
This sounds awesome!! I love potatoe salads!
I learned a great potoatoe salad dressing that’s so easy! It was just soaked cashews, water, salt and seasonsings. I used dill and it’s fantastic!! Thanks for the reminder!!
How original and fresh does this salad look! Nice work on a fresh Spring meal. :)
Mmmm, definitely bookmarking this for future summer BBQs :) Which i’m sure will come fast as summer is quickly approaching! I’m sure it’d be delicious as a whole meal with the addition of crumbled tempeh or tofu :)