Smashed Yukon Gold Potato Salad

July in Oak Lawn is humid and still and smells like cut grass and the charcoal from every backyard within three blocks. I have been sleeping with the window fan on high and the sheet over my feet, which is the exact right configuration for this weather. The blog has been getting more traffic this summer — the summer cooking posts are doing well, something about "budget cooking for hot weather" that apparently resonates. I am writing two or three posts a week. It does not feel like work.

I drove to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Worth on Saturday — not for the anniversary, which is not until September, but because I was driving that way and I thought about it and then I was there. I parked and walked to Jess's grave and stood there for a few minutes. I did not bring flowers this time — it was unplanned. I said "I made shakshuka this week. You would have liked it." I said "I'm going to be student teaching in the fall." I said "I miss you." Then I drove home.

I think about her differently now than I did in the first year. In the first year she was everywhere and the missing was sharp and constant. Now she is in specific places: in the kitchen when I make fried eggs, in the car when certain songs come on, in the cemetery in Worth. The grief is less constant and more located. I do not know if that is better or just different. It is what it is.

Made corn chowder this week — a big pot, with fresh corn cut off the cob because corn at the farmers market near the pool was four ears for a dollar. Added potato, onion, garlic, chicken bouillon, cream that was going to expire. Total cost about three dollars for a pot that lasted four days. Ate it for dinner with bread. The corn was very sweet and the soup was thick and I ate it watching the Cubs game and thought about almost nothing, which felt like a gift.

The corn chowder lasted four days, but by Thursday I was thinking about what came next — something I could eat cold, straight from the fridge, without turning on the stove again in this heat. Yukon Golds were cheap at the same farmers market stand, and smashed potato salad is the kind of recipe that asks almost nothing of you, which felt right for the kind of week it had been. You boil the potatoes, you smash them a little, you dress them, and that’s it — no precision required, just the steady rhythm of doing something with your hands.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for boiling water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup celery, thinly sliced (about 2 stalks)

Instructions

Boil the potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until fork-tender, about 15–18 minutes. Drain and let cool for 5 minutes.
Smash. Spread the warm potatoes on a large cutting board or baking sheet. Using the bottom of a glass or a flat spatula, gently press each potato down until it cracks open and flattens slightly — you want rough, uneven edges, not mashed.
Make the dressing. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
Dress and toss. Transfer smashed potatoes to a large serving bowl. Pour dressing over while potatoes are still slightly warm so they absorb it. Add green onions, parsley, and celery, and fold everything together gently.
Rest and serve. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Smashed Yukon Gold Potato Salad — The Same Pot, A Different Kind of Comfort