The kick-off to summer madness is just days away.
The Memorial Day holiday is not only the start to blazing, scorching warmer weather, it signals the “picnic bug” in me. I love taking the family to the lake or beach and packing the essentials – lunch, snacks, and drinks.
What I don’t look forward to, however, is transporting those essentials. I want to do it safely and with ease.
One thing I’ve enjoyed since adopting a plant based diet, is that plant-based foods are, for the most part, portable. I don’t have to worry about icepacks or insulated lunch bags for many items because as you know, animal products and by-products are sensitive to sun/heat exposure. You just can’t leave turkey and cheese sandwiches or egg and mayo-based dishes out for an extended period of time without risking contamination.
No one wants to eat a meat-filled sandwich drowned in mayo that has baked in 100° weather.
If I pack a lunch like a cheese-free and mayo-free veggie sandwich, Vegan pasta salad, and frozen fruit, my choices can go commando in my picnic basket.
I call that the formula for real picnic food.
Easy + Safe Transport = Worry-free Picnic Enjoyment.
I wanted to do the same this Memorial Day holiday by creating a potato salad that fits the formula for Worry-free Picnic Enjoyment.
Your typical potato salad is creamy and most likely includes mayonnaise (Vegan or non-Vegan) as its base/binder. The Southern-style potato salad I enjoyed as a kid had mayonnaise and hardboiled eggs as a part of its ingredients. Although I enjoyed eating it, this would not fall into the “easy and safe transport” category.
So unless, you’re prepared to pack a boatload of ice or icepacks in an insulated carrier bag, you run the risk of serving contaminated mayo-based potato salad to loved ones. It’s just not worth it when you have options that taste just as, if not better, than traditional (Southern-style) potato salad.
My Picnic-Ready Potato Salad solves this problem. It’s egg and mayo-free.
Fresh herbs, curry and Dijon mustard make this soon-to-be picnic favorite a light option that doesn’t skimp on flavor.
There’s only a small amount of oil, so it’s also healthier than the mayo and egg-laden version.
If you get the “picnic bug” this summer and you want your food to go commando, make your picnic basket fuss-free and worry-free by skipping the deli meat, creamy chicken or tuna salad sandwiches and reaching for a simple, safe, plant-based solution.
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- 5 cups yellow or red potatoes (w/ skin), chopped into medium chunks
- 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
- 3 large fresh basil leaves stacked, rolled, and sliced
- 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon, torn into small pieces
- 3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-1/2 tsp. curry powder
- 1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt, plus additional if needed
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper, plus additional if needed
Ingredients
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- Place cut potatoes in a large pot. Fill pot with water. Make sure potatoes are completely covered. Boil potatoes until tender. Do not overcook, as this will produce a mushy result. Remove from heat and drain. Add potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Allow potatoes to cool slightly before adding remaining ingredients.
- Add remaining ingredients and gently fold until all ingredients are incorporated. Taste. Add additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Optional additions: minced onions or onion powder, celery seeds, minced garlic or garlic powder.
Serve or pack to take along on your picnic.
Enjoy! Have a safe Memorial Day!
