Not Quite Potato Salad with Fresh Turmeric Root and Mustard Seeds

Well, this is a doozy of a photo, but I took it quickly and then ate this salad before I could realize that it was out of focus. Oh well, you get the, um, picture.

I finally got around to purchasing Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Plenty, which is one that I know I will be cooking out of for some time to come. The cookbook focuses on vegetables, and every single of one of the recipes looks amazing. This recipe is not from the cookbook, but it is certainly inspired by it. It was a clean-out-the-fridge kind of salad that really worked well, and as such, I haven’t included precise measurements but guidelines below.

Not Quite Potato Salad with Fresh Turmeric Root and Mustard Seeds

inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Plenty

baby potatoes, thinly sliced
fresh turmeric root, thinly sliced
green beans
asparagus
zest of lemon
juice of fresh lemon
mustard seeds
cloves crushed garlic
serrano or other pepper
extra virgin olive oil
fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400. Bring a pot of water large enough to fit all the potatoes to a boil and slice the potatoes and turmeric thinly. Boil the potatoes and turmeric for about 2 minutes – since they’re thinly sliced, they’ll cook quickly. Drain the water and let the potatoes and turmeric dry in a strainer. Coat the potatoes and turmeric in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, then spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until they are golden brown and crispy.

Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the asparagus and green beans for 1 minute. Drain and cool in ice water.

In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, turmeric, green beans, and asparagus. Add the lemon zest and juice.

In a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic and serrano pepper with a bit of kosher salt. Use as much garlic as you like. Heat a pan over medium heat and toss in the garlic/serrano mixture, mustard seeds, and olive oil. Sauté until fragrant and the mustard seeds start to pop. Pour this mixture over the vegetables and stir it all together. Taste and add salt if necessary. Top with fresh chives.