Ingredients
DRESSING
1 cup cold water
2 tsp cornstarch
1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
1 tsp tomato paste
1 large clove garlic, peeled and forced through
1 tbsp country-style dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 freshly ground black pepper to tast, e
1 tbsp olive oil
SALAD
2 lb small red potatoes
1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into halv
1/2 cup kalamata olives halved and pitted
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into slive
8 basil leaves, slivered
Directions
1. TO PREPARE THE DRESSING: Combine about 1 tablespoon of the water
with the cornstarch to dissolve. Combine the remaining water,
cornstarch mixture, vinegar and tomato paste in a saucepan and bring
to a boil. Continue boiling until slightly thickened. Remove from
the heat and whisk in the garlic, mustard, basil, oregano, cayenne,
salt, pepper and olive oil. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. 2. TO
PREPARE THE SALAD: Scrub the potatoes but do not peel. Cut in
halves. Place in a steamer basket and steam over boiling water until
tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and tranfer to a bowl. Add 4
tablespoons of the dressing and the shallot. Refrigerate 1 to several
hours. 3. Bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the beans and
time about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain and plunge into ice
water to stop the cooking. Pat dry and add to the potatoes. 4. Stir
in the olives, tomatoes and basil leaves. Add enough dressing to coat
the salad. If making the salad ahead, refrigerate; remove from
refrigeration about 1 hour before serving.
Servings: 8 servings
Potato Salad With Italian Dressing Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Italian; Salad; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as a concept can be traced way back into the distant past, in truth as far back as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and possibly even further. Interesting though that maybe, in the main part, these early records were just simple pictorial recipes for meal preparation.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe discovered, according to Professor Solomon Katz, is a series of tablets in the Sumerian language which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making people feel blissful and exhilarated. During Roman times around 25BC a man called Apicius created a number of scripts which described recipes enjoyed by his fellow Romans. In his scrolls, he tells us how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into appetizers, main course and dessert, a style of dining still practiced today. This early Roman chef informs us how the chefs of Roman times made use of a wide range of herbs and spices, including many that are still in use today like basil, fennel and dill. As our culinary historical trip moves on a few more years we have two interesting recipe books dating from the fourteenth century ; a recipe book called `Forme of Cury`, and another named `Curye on Inglish`. Despite their titles, these two books are not about the curry that is popular today, but rather accounts of the types of meals on the menus of the wealthy. In the fifteenth century, knights returning from the crusades brought us many new spices and herbs from the holy lands, including spices like parsley and basil. The introduction of these new culinary ideas led to an increase in publications on food, many of which still exist in private cookery archives. Like it or not, the introduction of television brings us celebrity chefs and the accompanying recipe books. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing everybody to search through massive numbers of recipes just like those on our web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Potato Salad With Italian Dressing recipe.
