Potatoes and Asparagus Gribiche

I go long periods of time without writing in this blog. It's not that we're not eating during these lapses but, rather, that I'm cooking up the standards for Martin. We have a rotation of foods he will eat - cheese enchiladas, steak, lasagna, pot pie, spaghetti, tacos...maybe a few more, but all basic foods that I've already written up on this site.

Meanwhile, there's my daughter who in the few months since the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook came out has tried dozens of the recipes included. I doubt I'll ever be as prolific and adventuresome as she is but I have decided to step up my game a bit by trying new recipes. I like Deb Perelman's foods because they almost always taste great but aren't so fussy that it takes a master chef to execute them.

This one makes me laugh a bit because I don't even know what gribiche means! In her cookbook, Deb says there are references to the word meaning "a mean old woman who scares children". I'm pretty sure there must be an alternate definition that encompasses something to do with this refreshing take on potato salad but, so far, I haven't bothered to look it up. I guess I'll just have to imagine what potato and asparagus salad has to do with mean old ladies!

I halved the recipe when I made it, creating just enough for same day eating and leftovers for one more helping. True confession: I could've eaten every bit of what I made in one sitting as it tasted that good. For someone who thought she really only liked the sweeter variety potato salads (the kind my mom was famous for), I absolutely loved this tart and deconstructed version.

When I was making the dressing, it seemed so tart that I wondered how it was going to taste in the dish. Turns out when you add the potatoes and asparagus, they balance out that tang in a way that is absolutely delicious.

Potatoes And Asparagus Gribiche
from Smitten Kitchen Every Day

Gribiche Dressing
2 large hard boiled eggs, yoke separated, whites chopped
2 T dijon mustard
2 T white wine vinegar
6 T olive oil
1 T capers, brined variety
2 T finely chopped cornichons (from about 4)  *I'd never heard of cornichons and had to look online to find out what they are. Then I went to three nearby grocery stores and never found them, so I substituted baby dill pickles.
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 t. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Assembly
2 pounds small new or fingerling potatoes (the picture in Deb's cookbook shows a very pretty mixture of different color potatoes but mine are all the same, because I had some on hand. Next time, I'll do it her way. )
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 T. chopped fresh parsley, tarragon, or chervil. (I used Italian parsley - again because it was what I had on hand)

Directions:
Make the sauce/dressing - Mash the yolks with the mustard in the bottom of a bowl. Whisk in vinegar and oil. Stir in capers, cornichons, chopped egg whites, shallot, salt, and pepper to taste. Adjust the seasonings.

Make the salad - Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with 2 inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 13 minutes, or until the top of a knife pierces through a potato with a little resistance. Add the asparagus to the pot, and cook them together for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Let the potatoes and asparagus cook completely.

Cut the potatoes in halves or quarters, depending on their size, and place them in a large bowl. Cut the asparagus in 1/2 inch to 3/4 inches segments, and add to the bowl. Toss with gribiche sauce, and season well with salt and pepper. Garnish with the herbs.