Lifestyles

Homemade potato salad is a sacred cow in some families -- don't mess with the recipe! -- but occasionally it's fun to veer off the beaten path.

Joanne Weir, PBS television cooking personality and cookbook author, offers a hot twist on potato salad in the September 2006 issue of Fine Cooking magazine. She suggests roasting potato chunks instead of the traditional cooking by boiling.

The oven treatment produces crunch on the outside and preserves softness on the inside "that boiled potatoes can only dream of," she writes. Her four recipes -- including Roasted Potato Salad with Shaved Fennel & Salsa Verde, and Roasted Potato Salad with Crispy Prosciutto & Mustard Vinaigrette, plus the two listed here -- omit mayonnaise and rely on an olive oil dressing to let pure summer flavors dominate.

A complement to Weir's story is a feature on coleslaw by Allison Ehri -- the magazine's food stylist and a test kitchen associate -- where she tosses together cabbage and other veggies with Mexican-style and Asian-style dressings and a somewhat traditional coating containing buttermilk and herbs.

In other features, Tony Rosenfeld -- a contributing editor to the magazine and owner of several healthful fast-food restaurants in Boston -- offers a Tuscan menu in which each course depends on grill cooking, even the dessert of Grilled Fresh Figs with Ice Cream & Honey. The entree is Tuscan Grilled Chicken, Sausage & Sage Skewers.

Just in time for the peak of the tomato harvest is a story on beefsteak tomatoes, including a breakdown of preferred varieties, a recipe for Rustic Beefsteak Tomato Tart, and tips for polishing away garden overflow. Meat and sausage expert Bruce Aidells tells readers how to cook the perfect steak -- from a cast-iron pan -- with recipes using filets, New York strips and rib-eyes.

Celebrated fish/seafood chef Tom Douglas looks at fish and seafood cakes -- he's famous for them at his four Seattle restaurants -- and pastry expert Abigail Johnson Dodge bakes summer fresh fruit cakes, which are in stark contrast to the type sold for the holidays.

Always focusing on education for home cooks, the magazine presents an easy-to-understand article about meat cuts -- tender or not? -- as well as tips for cooking and picking whole crabs and a taste test of commercial mayonnaise.

By the way, Kraft Real Mayonnaise is No. 1, followed by Hellman's.

Simple Roasted Potatoes

• 2 pounds small redskin potatoes or small Yukon gold potatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wash the potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch chunks.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Spread the potatoes on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and several grinds of black pepper, and roll them around to evenly coat with the oil.

Spread the potatoes in a single layer, preferably with a cut side down. Roast until tender when pierced with a fork, for 20-30 minutes, depending on the potatoes.

Loosen the potatoes from the pan, using a thin spatula, and transfer to a large serving bowl to be tossed with the salad ingredients and dressing. They can be tossed while still warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings.

Roasted Potato Salad with Green Beans, Feta & Mint

• Kosher salt, to taste
• Water
• 3/4 pound green beans, ends trimmed, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
• Simple Roasted Potatoes (see recipe)
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 pound crumbled feta cheese (1 scant cup)
• Mint sprigs, for garnish, optional
• Lemon wedges, for garnish, optional

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender, for 4-7 minutes. Drain.

Add the green beans and chopped mint to the potatoes and toss. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon juice. Add to the salad and toss. Season with kosher salt and ground pepper.

Crumble the feta on top and serve garnished with mint sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Roasted Potato Salad with Bell Peppers, Roasted Corn & Tomatoes

• 1 ear fresh corn, in the husk
• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups red, yellow or orange cherry tomatoes, or a combination, halved
• 1/2 sweet red (bell) pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 sweet green (bell) pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 sweet yellow (bell) pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Simple Roasted Potatoes (see recipe)
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the husk from the corn and put the corn on a small baking sheet. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the oil onto the corn and rub it over all the kernels. Sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Roast, turning the cob occasionally, until the corn kernels are light brown in a few spots, for about 20 minutes. Let the corn cool. Cut the kernels from the cob.

Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add the corn, tomatoes, sweet peppers, onion, basil and garlic. Toss gently.

Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the vinegar together and add to the salad. Toss again. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Note: To save time and energy, roast the corn while you roast the potatoes.

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