HOT DUTCH POTATO SALAD--WARME DUTCH AARDAPPEL SALADES

In old church/community cookbook from areas in Michigan with a Dutch heritage this salad is frequently called “Dutch Mess”. It not a pretty salad but it is a very, very tasty salad. An old Dutch lady introduced it to me, and it became a favorite of Matt and I to have on opening day of our local Farmer’s Market as the first things to come to market are green onions, leaf lettuce and tiny new potatoes.  I don't use mashed potatoes every time. Instead I like to use unpeeled, cooked, sliced little Redskin potatoes. If leaf lettuce is not available, use Romaine lettuce. In some ways, I like the Romaine better as it doesn’t wilt as much as leaf lettuce does.

It's not prettty but it is sooooooo good.  Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

The Dutch are known for using bacon and bacon grease in their cooking. My Grandma always had a tin can on the stove in which she saved bacon grease for using later when she fried potatoes or eggs, cooked sauerkraut or just needed a fat to put in a pan. This potato salad doesn’t have to be served real hot, but needs to be at least warm. I eat the left-overs cold, as I like this salad so much. Leaf lettuce gives the potato salad color and the vinegar gives it tang.

At the Farmer’s Market this week were German Butterball Potatoes so I am using them rather than Redskins. German Butterballs taste like they have butter in them. They are so good and when fresh from the market just wonderful. Also at the Market was Speckled Lettuce or Lactuca Sativa. It dates from the year 1660 and originated in Holland. It is one of the heirloom lettuces grown by one of our favorite farmers.

Check out Michigan Cottage Cook post, EASY HARD-COOKED EGGS PERFECT EVERY TIME 3/31/10 for cooking the eggs.

MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK HOT DUTCH POTATO SALAD
1 lb. leaf lettuce, washed, dried and shredded
5 to 6 green onions, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 slices of bacon
1/4 c cider vinegar
2 T sugar
¼ t dry mustard powder
1/2 c water
4 medium-sized potatoes, cooked and mashed or new potatoes, cooked and sliced
    (I used 16 very small potaotes.)
2 eggs, hard-cooked and sliced

Ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, onion, seasonings. Dice bacon and fry. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon drippings. Blend vinegar, sugar, dry mustard powder, and water together; add to bacon drippings and heat, scrapping the bottom of the pan to get all the goodness.  Add hot potatoes and bacon to lettuce; pour hot dressing over mixture. Add hard-cooked eggs and toss together. Diced ham and or chicken may be added to make it a main dish, but I like it as is.

Cut bacon into pieces.

Cook bacon until it is crisp.  Reserve bacon grease.

Shred lettuce.  This is the Speckled Lettuce.

Chop onions.

Combine lettuce and onions.

Wash potatoes.

Cook until tender.

Chop hard-cooked eggs.

Drain potatoes and slice while hot.

Add hot potatoes to lettuce and onions.

Add hot bacon to lettuce bowl.

Add sugar to vinegar.

Add vinegar/sugar mixture to 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in pan bacon was cooked.

Heat to boiling.  Stir to get the brown goodness in the bottom of the pan.

Pour hot mixture into lettuce bowl.  Toss to combine.

Add chopped eggs to lettuce bowl.

Gently toss to combine and enjoy!