After the past couple of years of living in NYC and having "city summers," which for me mostly consisted of wandering and window-shopping around SoHo on summer Friday's, eating lots of ice cream, people-watching in Central Park, and avoiding the subway at all costs, I had kind of forgotten that I am actually a girl of summer. Some of my favorite childhood memories include swinging off a rope swing into the Guadalupe river, spending the entire afternoon and early evening swimming and being outdoors, and then ending it with a BBQ and maybe a snow cone or ice cream. There was also the occasional camping trip, a bonfire with smores, and summer basketball camps.
The past few weeks we have been lucky enough to experience two of my favorite summer things! On Sunday we took a family trip to Pedernales Falls State Park and went cliff jumping. We also cooled off in the smallest (but very deep) little watering holes, dipping our feet in and gradually getting used to the icy water until it was too hot to wait any longer. It was a little bit of a hike to get there, but once we finally arrived we experienced instant relief with the cooling waters. There is an area of the park that was once a secret spot, which my dad and mom have been going to since they were in college. Unfortunately it looked like the word got around, because there were a few groups of people there. We still had fun though, and even though it took me an embarrassingly-long time to jump off the cliff, with the help of my brother (thanks, Donald!) I finally jumped!
So anyways, this all leads to potato salad! What goes better after a full day of swimming and a summer BBQ than a potato salad? After I told Kyle that I was making a potato salad without mayo, he got so excited and thanked me over and over again (he's not a fan of the condiment). The miso adds a nice salty touch to the salad, but it is not overwhelming in flavor because the yogurt balances it out nicely. You can make this a day ahead (which is what I did), and then fully enjoy your outdoor BBQ the day of!
Miso Mushroom Potato Salad (serves 4-6)
adapted from Cooking Light
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. colorful petite potatoes
- 1 large red onion, halved
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2-3 tbsp. of olive oil, divided
- 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 2 tbsp. miso (I used shiromiso, a yellow-brown color that is milder in taste)
- 1 tbsp. water
- kosher or sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 green onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp. red chili pepper flakes (optional)
Directions: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, miso, and water. Stir until miso is dissolved and just combined. Set "mayo" aside in refrigerator until ready.
Fill a medium to large pot with water and bring to a boil. Slice potatoes in half (or quarters depending on preference) and place in large pot. Reduce heat to medium, and cook potatoes until tender but still slightly al-dente to hold up the dressing. Drain and set aside in a bowl.
Finely dice half of the red onion. Slice the other half into longer strands. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and fill with olive oil. Add red onion and mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are soft and onions are clear, and set aside in a bowl.
Combine potatoes, mushrooms, and red onion in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with miso "mayo" and toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary, and top with green onion and a sprinkle of chili pepper flakes. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for 1-2 days!
