Tastes of Summer: Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

I was a little stumped this week when it came to cooking for this column, so I reached out to the readers and asked what type of recipe they wanted. The winner: a recipe for a side dish.

Inspired by the recent warm weather, sunshine and blue skies I decided to dust off my Williams-Sonoma Comfort Foods cookbook and try their recipe for old-fashioned potato salad.

Potato salad is great for summer because it's easy to make, you can make it in large quantities for parties and you can easily spice up this recipe with additional ingredients, like hard-boiled eggs or pickles, if you choose.

To make this recipe you'll need the following:

• 3 lbs. of redskin potatoes
• A dash of salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 4 green onions, white and green parts chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley (I couldn't find the fresh stuff and used the freeze dried variety.)

To start, place the unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan filled, just one-inch above the top of the potatoes, with salt water. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Set the lid askew, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a brisk simmer until the potatoes are tender, approximately 25 minutes. Once tender, drain and rinse the potatoes under cold running water until they are cool enough to handle.

Cut the potatoes into chunks, about 1/2 inch thick, and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the vinegar and let cool completely.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and mustard. Add to the cooled potatoes along with the diced celery and chopped onions. Next, add the parsley. Mix gently with a large spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Serve chilled, enjoy!