Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Friday, July 30, 2010

Summer Is Heating Up The Garden

... ever so slowly .. or perhaps I'm just impatient ... not a good trait for a gardener ;(  We've had good success with sugar peas, lettuce, raspberries, onions, herbs and rhubarb.  My potatoes are being eaten 'alive' by the voles and I'm having to harvest them early so I have some for ourselves ... which means the spuds are rather puny.  Next year all root crops will be planted in raised beds lined with wire mesh to keep the pests at bay

Garden Medley Potato Salad:

6-8 cups boiled, diced Yukon gold/red new potatoes
red onion, diced
chopped celery
diced sugar peas (in their shells)
potato salad dressing (recipe below)
salt & pepper to taste
celery seeds
1-2 pieces crispy bacon, minced

Boil desired quantity of potatoes (I ended up with about six cups when diced).  Cool slightly and dice leaving skins intact.  Place in large bowl.  Add diced red onion, celery, sugar peas (about 1 cup each).  Toss with potato salad dressing and add salt, pepper and celery seeds and minced bacon to taste.  Chill.

Potato Salad Dressing:  (makes approx 1 cup)


1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder




Crack egg in a small sauce pan and whisk well.  Add remaining ingredients, whisking well.  Cook over medium heat stirring continually until the ingredients are bubbly and thick.  Pour into a small mixing bowl to cool.  Add 1/2 cup mayo and mix well.  Toss with potato/veggie mixture and mix well.

5 comments:

Karen K said...

Have you tried moth balls spread about to deter the rodents? I used them and it greatly reduced the chipmunks & moles we were having issues with.

Good luck! I do enjoy your blog - I love the photo at the top - the one of your great great grandparents. Doing family history as I do, I'm always appreciative of those who have photo's like yours & enjoy it.

meemsnyc said...

Yummy, I love potato salad. I'll have to try your recipe.

Sandy said...

I have never tried potato salad
this way but I'll sure give it
a try! Our biggest garden problem
this year is a family of pesky
ground hogs! They are eating nearly
as many of our veggies as we are!

Mr. H. said...

It's hard not to be a little impatient this year, we are still waiting for that first zucchini and cucumber..can you believe it.

Too bad about the voles, I am also fighting off a vole in my potato bed, they are so hard to catch. I have been baiting him with fennel roots but he/she has so far outsmarted my traps and is getting fat and happy off the fennel. I need to get some decent traps.

MAYBELLINE said...

Oh mercy.
Potatoes AND bacon.
This sounds great.