Can we be real for a hot second? I’m staring at this picture of potato salad with pretty little purple flowers in it, my dog is snoring next to me after a very tiring day at the lake jumping from boat to dock and back to boat again and I kind of just wish life was that easy. Filled with flowers and snoring puppies.
But real life can suck. It’s been a sucktastic week actually. From small things to big things, from stuff that affects me to stuff that affects friends and family. I just don’t get it and I feel extremely clouded on many levels. There’s no point to this little rant other than telling that pretty purple flower that was mocking my thoughts to shut the hell up.
And…we’re done with that. No one wants to read about suckiness.
So, potatoes.
Lavendar and lemon ones.
Sounds like a Yankee candle not a side dish, right? I hear ya.
For the three summers we’ve been in this house I’ve planted herbs on the front steps. There are three steps and so to keep my ocd in check, there have been 6 pots, 3 on each side of the steps. The first 5 were no brainer decisions. Basil, parsley, cilantro, mint and rosemary. Easy, done, use them all the time. But then there was the 6th pot. I really had no need for a whole plant’s worth of another herb because the other 5 are my go-to ones. But, I just couldn’t handle the empty space on the step, it would’ve made me twitch every time I walked inside.
Year 1 it was thyme. I hate thyme. I continuously try to like it but I just don’t. That was a bad idea.
Year 2 was tarragon. Lovely, but I think I used it twice. Just what do you actually use tarragon for?!
Year 3 was sage. Had this one been around in the fall, it would’ve gotten a lot more use, but summertime recipes for sage? Yeah, they don’t exist.
And so that brings us to this year and the almost throw down at Lowes for herbs. Lavender became the 6th pot guinea pig this time around and up until now it’s fate was similar to the tarragon and sage. It just smelled too pretty to actually eat. Faced with 6 potatoes that needed to be used asap though, I figured I’d give the candle scented herb a try and it just so happened to turn out glorious.
This is not your typical potato salad. There’s no mayo, no eggs and no other crunchy vegetables. Just the potatoes themselves, some lemon, olive oil and florally herbs. And somehow, it turned out to be everything I wanted it to be. Light, summery, quick, easy, and refreshing. I don’t think I’d ever have labeled a potato salad as refreshing before this but that’s exactly what the lavender makes it.
One recipe alone is not grounds for permanent 6th pot placement, but things are looking up for the lavender’s fate.
- 4 cups russet potatoes, cubed
- water
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lavendar, minced
- ½ tablespoon rosemary, minced
- salt & pepper
- Add potatoes to a medium pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
- While potatoes cook, whisk together oil, vinegar and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
- Add herbs and salt & pepper.
- Once potatoes are cooked, drain and add them while hot to the dressing.
- Toss to combine and fully coat all the potatoes and season with more salt & pepper to taste.
- Serve room temperature.
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
Hmmm, Lavender Potato Salad. I wonder if I would like it? I’m very intrigued by this recipe!! I have lavender growing in the front yard, I think I need to make a small batch to try it out!! I love your creativeness!
I wish I had it growing naturally in my front yard! Lucky you!
I hope your weekend is filled with nothing but joy! And more amazing recipe creations… I can’t get enough of your tempting posts! I loVe lavender – gorgeous salad, Gina!
I love lavender! Try it in some lemonade. Hope your week improves
This sounds absolutely delicious. As for planting herbs – do you take them inside after the summer? The other thing I sometimes do is dry them and put them into little jars so they last longer.
I do sometimes, but Ginger has managed to either eat all the dirt in the pots or the actual plants themselves every time I’ve tried to extend their life indoors…
I hope things get better. I empathize, my last month has been that way! Nothing but blue skies from here on our! *fingers crossed*
I’d have to omit the lavender on this one, I’ve given it a go many times and I can’t do the culinary lavender thing. Now candles, pillow sprays, perfumes, etc, count me in!
This is my kind of potato salad! I am not a fan of the gloopy, calorific mayo-and-dill based potato salads. I mostly enjoy the mustard-based if at all, but really, just having potatoes with some herbs and a light dressing (not sauce!) is the way to go. I was going to ask where you got the lavender! I’ve been wanting to try some recipes with it, but didn’t know where to find it. Guess I need to grow it! Also, I’m with you on thyme, sage and tarragon. Thyme just isn’t my kind of herb, I always see tarragon paired with chicken and I don’t eat meat and sage is definitely a fall thing so I agree with you there too. P.S. puppy snores and flowers sounds like a perfect way to start summer <3 hope your week gets better!
Ugh – sorry life has been sucktastic lately. The only good side of sucky days/weeks/things is that it can usually only go up from there!
Puppy dog snoring and lavender makes everything better — I wish!! When my dog snores I want to either use him as a puppy pillow or wake him up because seriously, he’s freakin’ loud!!
Lavender is a highly undervalued savory dish herb. Way to go with that awesome incorporation.
I’m going to try this asap! I’ve been on a lavender kick (odd, but true). It started with lavender-honey lemonade from Joy the Baker. Then, to use up the remaining lavender-honey syrup, I’ve been experimenting with cocktails. And I still want to try lavender madelines. But these potatoes just moved to the top of list! Thanks! Hope you have a much better weekend!
cocktails are high on my list of things to test out with lavender next
Aw man, I’m sorry things aren’t going exactly awesome for you/family/friends right now. But seriously, I think its perfectly ok to vent about it here if it makes you feel better. Sometimes blogging it out is the best solution ever. Seriously!
i hope next week is a better one!
Love this flavor combo, Gina. So perfect for a summer potato dish!
WOW!! This recipe is absolutely brilliant. I love lavender in savory foods and would never have thought to put it in a potato salad. Love this and I cannot wait to make it. By the way your photos are beautiful! By the way, a really nice pairing with the lavender is some dark chocolate. I have been meaning to post a recipe for chocolate bark with lavender. Hopefully soon. Try it though, you will LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing.
Ooh! Good call on the chocolate. That will definitely be tested out soon
Yes! I needed another way to use up my lavender, I was thinking a drink… but now it’s potatoes!
I love lavender and used to have lavender plants at another house I lived in…but never cooked with it or used it in food. What was I thinking! But my yard smelled fabulous.
This doesn’t look like a Yankee Candle to me. I love lavender in both sweet and savory dishes. This is right up my alley!
I like to use lavender, such a nice smell. Nice blog, great discovery!
Love love love using lavender in food! What a great idea!
Gina, I think everyone feels that way sometimes. Life can be hard and unforgiving in many ways. But that’s life! Sometimes talking about it helps and glad you were able to get it out. I hope things get better for you. I can tell you your photos lifted my spirits. They are beautiful and you should be proud. Well done Gina!
thank you
I normally have lavender in sweet things so I’m really intrigued by this potato salad. It sounds so fresh and summery though!
Sorry for the suckiness of life, I can definitely sympathise and I hope it gets better soon.
Gina!! I love you and your recipes! I am absolutely obsessed with all things made with lavender . I think we might have discussed this at blend!
I want to do nothing but be outside and cook – I wish life was that easy! I should come for a visit and you can teach me how to make more time for cooking.
You and me both. Puppies, outdoors and food. That’s my idea of the good life
We need to plan a meet up soon. It’s kind of ridiculous how close we are and that somehow the only place we met was in Denver! go figure.
I’ve been experimenting recently with lavender also. Made a simple syrup with it to add to something and I couldn’t get over how lovely the taste was, I never would have known! I’ve always loved the smell but didn’t even really know you can eat it too.
haha I like that lavender has fate when it comes to being on your front steps
I hate thyme, I don’t like sage or tarragon…so we’re basically best friends now. I try to like thyme too but it’s just so hard to. These potatoes look light and fragrant and a great side dish to have! I’ve never cooked with lavender, let alone know what it tastes like, but the combination of lemon with it makes it sound enticing!
Nice work! I wouldn’t know what to do with lavender. Although my two experiences with it were very positive: 1) I was once served a dessert of chocolate pot de creme with lavender shortbread – not something I would have chosen, it was part of a pre-fix menu, but I was pleasantly surprised! and 2) a friend gave me a jar of lavender honey which I used in a salad dressing with ginger white balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard. Now THAT was awesome.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been disappointed on first glance at a pre-fix menu only to be completely shocked at how much I liked it. It’s usually some bizarre floral thing too that would never be my gut choice but ends up being beyond delicious. Funny how that happens..
Gina, what a unique twist on a summer favorite! I love the flavor combinations. You are so creative!
Sometimes I wish I had the carefree life of my dog at the lake. I hope all your worries subside soon. And I love this potato salad! I have so much lavender but am not always super confident in what I should put it in. I definitely wouldn’t have thought of potatoes, but love it!
What a fun way to use lavender! This looks really good.
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