Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 66 Kitchen Guy Kitchen Guy Kitchen Guy SALAD DAYS OF SUMMER By CHEF JIM GRAY You can thank me later, but I've just saved your summer picnic from the curse of mayonnaise spoiling by creating a potato salad that requires no mayonnaise. Granted, it's not chunky or creamy like the potato salad you may be used to. But some picnics just aren't the same without potato salad and once you taste this, you may decide it's worth forgoing the mayonnaise all year long. For all of you spiceheads, I've put together a mixture that in- corporates two classic Korean ingredients: kimchi and buckwheat noodles. Kimchi is a fermented cabbage mixture that, like salsa, goes from mild to extremely hot. If the kimchi you find in your supermarket is not hot enough for your taste, then add red pepper flakes. Finally, my favorite salad EVER is Caprese (please pronounce it kah-pray-zay, not kuh-preece). e ingredients never vary, but I'm always experimenting with different presentations. For a while, I made a Caprese Tower, stacking my tomatoes, moz- zarella and basil. But when I found a batch of long, fat Roma tomatoes, I went with the version presented in this article. And I close by making this promise: Eat these salads and stay in bathing suit shape. NO-SPOIL POTATO SALAD 3 large Russett potatoes, unpeeled, thinly sliced 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1-1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ cup chopped fresh dill ½ tsp salt 1 large cucumber, unpeeled and thinly sliced Place potato slices in a microwave-safe baking dish or glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, poke some holes in the plastic to vent the steam, and microwave on high for 9 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stop the microwave every 3 minutes, remove the plastic wrap very carefully and mix the potatoes. In another bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, oil, dill and salt. Whisk vigorously. Pour the mixture over the potatoes. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Just before service, gently mix in the sliced cucumbers, taste and adjust seasoning.

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