We had the opportunity to spend some quality time with our friends, Michele and John M, last weekend in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The four of us hadn’t been together since before the pandemic which made it extra special.
Knowing how much I love potatoes, Michele not only asked me to bring a potato side dish for dinner but also suggested that we go to a nearby Pierogi Festival in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania. I had never heard of pierogis until I moved to Pennsylvania for college in the 1980s. These small dumplings are found in Central and Eastern European cuisines. They may be filled with many things but commonly it’s potatoes and cheese. Typically they are sautéd in butter although my college/post-college roommate, Elisabeth R, and I used to boil them.
We arrived too late for the Pierogi Parade, but while looking for a place to park we saw a couple dressed as a pierogi and a stick of butter. I love a good visual and that’s one I will likely not forget. Despite there being many different pierogi stands, there were no gluten-free options (we didn’t expect there to be). But I did manage to find a baked potato so I still checked the potato box.
Knowing that we had an active day planned, I wanted to bring a potato side that didn’t need much work prior to serving. I decided to make a fancier version of my favorite Lemon-Basil Potato Salad.
I made the dressing a few days in advance. On the morning before we left for Scranton, I steamed the potatoes and tossed them in some of the dressing. I took them out of the refrigerator that evening about an hour before serving so that they could get to room temperature. Then I added sun-dried tomatoes, French feta and sliced fresh basil, a bit more dressing to ensure all was well coated and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.
French feta is milder, creamier and less salty than Greek feta which is why I like it for this recipe. But any crumbled feta will work well. Striped Spatula provides a great primer about feta in All About Feta Cheese And How To Use It.
Just like pierogies, this potato salad can easily be adapted if you want to add or remove any ingredients. It’s a perfect salad for summer parties or barbecues.
We enjoyed dinner that night with Michele and John’s youngest, Cate. She made my day when she asked her mom to get the recipe.
Photo Credit: Thank you, John M, for indulging Michele and me. Just sorry that we missed out on the Star Wars-themed pierogi photo board!
| Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Potato Salad | | Print |
- 2 pounds small gold potatoes (see Notes)
- 1-1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (~ 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil and thinly sliced (or julienne cut)
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (see Notes)
- 1 cup of fresh basil, thinly sliced (chiffonade-style)
- Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) for sprinkling
- Steam potatoes (using a steamer insert) over high heat until you can easily break them with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Whisk lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, sea salt and pepper together. Slowly add olive oil while whisking to emulsify.
- Add hot potatoes to a bowl and toss with dressing until well coated.
- Cover and let sit at room temperature for a few hours. If you’re making it more than a few hours in advance, refrigerate it and bring it out an hour before serving.
- Just before serving, toss the potatoes with sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese and basil. Add a bit more dressing, if needed. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
* You may have extra dressing – use it as a dressing for a green salad.
* Dressing can be made a few days in advance and keeps for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
* I prefer French feta but any good feta works.
* Recipe can easily be cut in half or doubled.
This sounds incredibly lovely! And there is a good vegan feta substitute that I’d like to try with this recipe. Nom nom!
Spenser – Excellent! Thank you for sharing that there is a good vegan alternative for the feta.
Love this, Nicole. Already made my batch last night to be finished off before dinner tonight.
Michele – It makes me so happy it’s a hit with your family.
Spenser – Thank you! It’s a great combo.