Creamy Potato Salad with Tarragon and Chives

Have I told you about our passion for tarragon - aka, "the spice of life"?  I think I may have alluded to this when I last wrote about tarragon in my post about the herb garden at the ranch.  An update: the herb garden this summer is smaller than intended, and largely situated around the base of tomato plants.  Alas, no tarragon was available at the beginning of the season, so we will have to continue to buy tarragon at the grocery store.

Now to the inspiration for this recipe.  We were planning a Fourth of July barbecue, and wanted to have a potato salad as a side dish.  I generally don't care for potato salad unless I'm making it and know exactly what went into it.  I was thinking of a way to make potato salad that might taste like one of our favorite recipes, New Potatoes in Tarragon Cream (described in this post).  I searched through my recipe files on my computer, and found a recipe from Bon Appetit in the June 2007 issue that sounded good (Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs).  Actually, I found several recipes that sounded good -- that, after all, is the reason I save them!  I made notes as I was cooking, and I'd have to say that this recipe is an "adaptation" rather than an "inspired by". 

Most importantly, this potato salad is really, really good!!  So good, I'm going to make it again next week when we're at the beach in Maine.  I want to share it with our good friends, and try it as a side for another great bbq main dish (or should I say "Maine" dish).


Creamy Potato Salad with Tarragon and Chives

Ingredients:
3 lbs. red potatoes, peeled
1 tbs. grated lemon peel (from 1 lemon)
1 stalk of celery, minced (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup minced red onion
2 tbs. fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tbs. chives, minced
3/4 cup mayonnaise (I used a light mayonnaise)
4 tbs. rice vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring potatoes to boil in a large pot of water.  Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.  Make sure the potatoes are tender all the way through to the center, not just on the outside.
2. Drain the potatoes, and set aside until they are cool enough to handle.   (I did the chopping of the other ingredients as the potatoes cooled.)
3. Cut the potatoes into 3/4" cubes.  Place 1 layer of potatoes in a large bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, and salt and pepper.  Continue layering potatoes with vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
5. Do ahead: this can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead.  The flavor improves upon chilling.

Serves 8