My Aunt Dorothy’s Potato Salad

This year for the 4th of July, I went back to the McCarthy/Swanson Family Reunion Cookbook and made my Aunt Dorothy’s famous potato salad.  The note accompanying the recipe, from my cousin Janet, her niece, said that Aunt Dorothy didn’t actually send the recipe in to be in the cookbook, but that she had requests to “make sure Aunt Dorothy’s potato salad recipe gets in there”.  It was always a memorable dish when our family visited my Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Ed and my cousins Ed, Bob, Jack, and Jayne every summer in Indianapolis.  Those trips are some of my very best memories!

Aunt Dorothy’s Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds Idaho potatoes, boiled, cooled, and chopped 
• 2 cups celery, finely chopped 
• 10 or 12 radishes, sliced
• 4 or 5 green onions, sliced (optional)
• 12 hard boiled eggs (chop 10 eggs for the salad, reserve the other two for garnish)

Salad Dressing 

• 1 pint Hellman’s mayonnaise (You can substitute Veganaise.)
• 8 ounce container sour cream (You can substitute nonfat plain yogurt.)
• 1/3 cup vinegar (You can use Bragg’s apple cider vinegar.)
• 3 tablespoons sweet pickle juice
• 2 teaspoons mustard (prepared, not dry)
• 1/2 medium-size onion (grated on the grater)
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• Paprika (for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Place potatoes, celery, radishes, and green onions in a large bowl.

2. Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sweet pickle juice, mustard, onion, and celery seed in a bowl.

3. Pour the dressing over prepared potato mixture and mix well.  Fold in the chopped eggs.

4.  Garnish with egg slices and paprika.

Note:  Flavor is best if made the day before your event.

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This potato salad is so delicious!  You just have to make it this summer!  You can always make half of the recipe, if you have a smaller family.  This was the recipe Aunt Dorothy used for company.  It was so popular everyone had second helpings and sometimes thirds!  I encourage every family to put together a cookbook of their extended family’s favorite recipes.  It just feels so good to be able to make these traditional family recipes, and it serves as a legacy for your relatives.  I love and miss my Aunt Dorothy and will think of her every time I make one of her recipes.

Aunt Dorothy’s Potato Salad

My Mother, Lorraine, and Aunt Dorothy