Its my birthday, and as birthdays go, its a bit of a low one. I’m not out there in the world having fun, going places, seeing friends; I’m recuperating from being ill. And I’m in the backwoods of my very own place of exile, Waterlooville. Husband is out working on a project. I’m home, as usual, pretty much stranded in suburbia. But thankfully I have the dogs, and the forest for ramp-gathering later today, and……Thank God for Facebook because the world is filled with wonderful people and they are there, ready to listen to me kvetch (which i’ve done quite a bit of over the years).
It is, just one little kvetch, okay? quite ironic that i have friends all over the world, when my life in Waterlooville is quite friendless. But before you get the drift that i’m sinking into the depths of dispair, which well, there is no getting away from it, I am, this posting is about lifting that birthday depression and the expectations. With potato salad.
You know how birthdays are: you want something special; a day out; a treat; a manicure or a hair cut, an array of tiny plants for the garden, a visit to a Polish shop to buy pickles. I ain’t getting any of those. but over there on facebook: warm loving wishes from all over the world: wonderful. I skyped with my daughter and grandbaby in New York which put a smile on my face. If it hadn’t been for cancer this year I would have been there now, as I usually/often am or try to be. And my Jack Russells are not letting me mope. They never do. They have no room in their lives for moping and are a bit severe with me that way: if i have time to mope, i have time to take them walkies. Its obvious.
So i trotted downstairs into the kitchen, thinking that since i’m not doing anything special for my birthday i may as well do the dishes because even if its my birthday, well, i am the chief washer upper. And lasts nights dishes are waiting for me.
Then along the way something magical happened. As I was passing the kitchen table en route to the sink, I found a potato!
A boiled potato, medium sized, that I had put aside from dinner last night, thinking I would do something with it today.
And then I also remembered a few other things: how gorgeous charming all-about vegetable-goodness food writer Celia Brooks of Borough Market tours fame http://www.celiabrooks.com/ made a sesame dip for vegetables one night a zillion years ago and because it is utterly brilliant, genius, and so delicious i want to close my eyes and feel the happiness within, I have been making it ever since. But this time, instead of serving it with crudities I thought: that potato. That potato.
Because I’ve been a bit mad about potatoes and seeds in the last few years. I’m not sure why, but as I was relearning to taste after my head injury, putting together widely different ingredients to trigger sense-abilities, seeds just seemed to gravitate towards potatoes in my kitchen. Maybe one day I was eating an everything bagel, wetting my finger and dipping them into the salty seed mixture, then nibbling them until the bottom of the bag was empty….
When I was out of bagels I started doing it with potatoes. All sorts of seeds, and potato dishes, so it wasn’t unreasonable that this morning, when faced with that lone boiled potato and a bowl of freshly toasted sesame seeds, and the memory of Celia’s party…..I made potato salad.
And from the first forkful: EVERYTHING CHANGED. Not only was it delicous, it reminded me of happy trips to Japan, and my past Bay Area life of taste diversity, and I thought of how happy my daughter was dipping into the dressing, and I thought about how my grandmother used to boil a pot of potatoes and Sunday and do things with them all through the following week, and I thought about all these things as I took bite after happy bite. The world was such a different place when i finished my plateful than when I started. A better place. Goodess and happy returned to my being.
So of course: I’m offering it up as my birthday prezzie to YOU. Those creamy-textured boiled spuds, tangy yogurt, rich mayo, with crunchy seeds and a hit of salty soy-umami: so good. Its the least I can do. I want YOU to be happy too!
I made one portion, using one potato. You can do the same if you wish. For a larger portion, increase the amounts proportionally. In the recipe below I’m allowing for four portions.
Celia Brooks-Inspired Japanese Potato Salad
Serves about 4
6 medium-sized all purpose potatoes, boiled whole in their skins until just tender, or double the amount of smaller creamers or new potatoes
4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, extra for sprinkling
4 tablespoons mayonaise
4 tablespoons Greek yogurt, sour cream, or ordinary yogurt (though it will be runnier and tangier if you use ordinary)
1-2 teaspoons all purpose soy sauce
To serve: I garnished it with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and some julienned carrot, for colour and served it atop a bed of ramps; if ramps aren’t in season, use butter lettuce leaves. And don’t leave the garnish, the lettuce is delicious the the dressing.
Combine the diced potato with the sesame seeds, mayonaise, and yogurt. Mix gently but do not let the potatoes mash. Add the soy sauce to taste; the dressing will turn brownish beige at first, then lift to a creamy beige-y colour.
Mount onto a bed of ramps or lettuce leaves, sprinkle with sesame seeds and julienned carrots. Eat right away or chill until ready to serve.
With over 70 cookbook titles (including contributions) to her credit, Marlena conjures up flavours and dishes from the Mediterranean to Mexico, California to France to the Italian islands and single subjects such as chili peppers, olive oil, mushrooms, to a book on classic Jewish food from all over the world.
