Whenever we’re asked to a July 4th party, we always bring our Red, White & Blue Potato Salad. It’s special on Independence Day and potato salad occasion.

While we generally enjoy sharing, we keep our exact recipe a secret. We worked for years to get the dressing right!

But the United States Potato Board sent us a substitute red, white and blue potato salad recipe. It mixes three different potato types with onions, bell peppers, and ham in a balsamic vinaigrette. This fancy potato salad is a world away from a potato-mayonnaise mix, a delight for potato salad fans.

The recipe was created by Jill Melton, MS, RD, former senior food editor of Cooking Light and director of communications for Food Insight. We had bacon on hand and substituted it for the ham: delicious!

And a bonus: Here’s another red, white and blue potato salad recipe, with white stars cut from non-browning Envy apples.

> Fun potato trivia (below).

> The history of potatoes.

> The different types of potatoes.

> 60 more red, white and blue recipes.
 
 
RED, WHITE & BLUE POTATO SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients
 

 
Preparation

1. Cut the potatoes into 1-1/2 inch pieces (do not peel). Steam for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet. Add ham, walnuts, and garlic. Sauté 10 minutes. Add sherry vinegar, and stir well.

3. In a large bowl, toss ham mixture with potatoes, additional 2 tablespoons of oil, red pepper, green onions, salt, and pepper. Serve warm or cold with grilled steak, burgers, chicken, or fish.
 
 
Find more delicious potato recipes from the U.S. Potato Board.

[2] Petite potatoes in red, white, and blue (photo © Potato Goodness).

[3] Some varieties of purple potatoes have a more blue hue, but for July 4th, we’ll pretend these are blue (photo © Mona Makela | iStock Photo).

*Creamer potatoes are potatoes that are harvested while young, tender, and small—often as little as one inch in diameter. The flesh contains a lower level of starch, which makes them suitable for boiling. Creamer potatoes are typically Yukon Gold or red potatoes, which are called gold creamers or red creamers, respectively.
 
 

[4] Most of the potatoes sold in the U.S. are frozen. A large amount is sold to restaurants and other foodservice (photo © King Soopers).

[5] Fresh potatoes are the second largest category. These Yukon Gold potatoes are a favorite of chefs and foodies (photo © Bonnie Plants).

According to the USDA Economic Research Service, potatoes are the largest vegetable crop in the U.S., with an annual production of 41.3 billion pounds. More than one million acres of potatoes are planted annually—the equivalent of filling the entire state of Rhode Island with potato plants.

The U.S. Per Capita Potato Consumption is 117 pounds a year. Here’s the breakdown of what we eat, based on the 2010 forecast:

 
 
TOP 10 POTATO PRODUCING STATES
(in Billion Pounds)†

Potatoes are grown in all 50 states, but most of those 41.3 billion pounds are grown in:
1. Idaho 11.5
2. Washington 9.3
3. Wisconsin 2.9
4. Colorado 2.3
5. North Dakota 2.3
6. Minnesota 2.0
7. Oregon 1.9
8. Michigan 1.5
9. California 1.5
10. Maine 1.5

________________

†2008 Figures from USDA/NASS.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Consuming dietary carcinogens has been associated with different cancers in humans; a new study has shown that they can cause prostate cancer in rats.

Research has shown that grilled beef is a major source of dietary HCAs when cooked at temperatures of 375°F and above.

Now, ScienceNewsDaily.com, which reports on the latest research, offers a cure…or rather, a marinade. All it takes is marinating the protein with certain antioxidant herbs and spices to prevent HCAs from forming in cooked meats.

J. Scott Smith, Ph.D, a professor of food chemistry at Kansas State University, conducted research for the Food Safety Consortium to discover what effect marinating steaks could have on reducing carcinogenic compounds (HCAs and PAHs*) produced by grilling.

The findings: Cooking meats with specific herbs and spices decreases or eliminates HCAs on meat, up to 87%. Dr. Smith and his team successfully used spices in the mint family: basil, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme. Most of these herbs are rich in three potent antioxidants: carnosic acid, carnosol and rosmarinic acid.

The herbs and spices were contained in a supermarket brand of powdered marinade containing rosemary and thyme. The cooked meat’s level of reduced HCAs correlated to the amount of antioxidant herbs and spices present in the marinades.

 
You can make your own marinades using these herbs. And certainly, add the herbs and spices directly to ground beef. Rosemary and thyme are delicious additions to any protein.
 
Here’s the original article.
  

Meatless corn dogs are one of the vegetarian
treats from Veggie Patch. Photo courtesy
Veggie Patch.

This vegetarian line includes family favorites:

 
Chick’n and Veggie Dogs taste like the real, meaty deal; and the Broccoli Bites and Spinach Bites will convince everyone to eat more veggies.

Try them all!

See all of the Top Picks Of The Week.

*There are 20 Sullivan’s locations across the U.S. See the website for the roster of cities.

Here are Chef Garcia’s tips to avoid the most common grilling “misteaks”:

MISTEAK #1: Going Too Lean

Marbling is what delivers the flavor: It is one of the most important factors in steak selection. When selecting your meat, look for small streaks of fat and you’ll have a more flavorful steak. But, the more marbled the cut, the pricier the meat. The solution (approved by your healthcare provider): Eat smaller amounts of better meat.

MISTEAK #2: Taking Meat Directly From Fridge To Grill

Take the steak out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before you start grilling. This engenders more even cooking and more tender meat.

The steak should be the star. Avoid heavy marinades, butter and rubs; let the flavor of the meat shine by simply seasoning with salt and pepper. Chef Garcia recommends larger-grain salt, such as kosher salt or coarse sea salt, and cracked pepper. He advises, “Be generous but not heavy handed.”

MISTEAK #4: Skipping The Pre-Heat

For the best prep, the grill should always be preheated before the steak goes on. Gas grills require 5-10 minutes; charcoal grills may take a bit longer. When using a charcoal grill, make sure the coals are white hot: They will produce the most heat. Searing first will help keep the seasonings on the steak through the cooking process.

MISTEAK #5: Not Letting The Steak Rest

Pull the steak off the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. While the meat rests, the hot juices are absorbed back into the muscle, making it juicier and more tender.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR CUTS OF BEEF?

Check out our beautiful Beef Glossary.

Lucky people in the Shreveport area can take part in Chef O’Boyle’a Gulf Pig Underground Dinner Club, with changing locations and menus. (Next up: a dinner in late July/early August and two in September/October.)

Chef O’Boyle is a consulting chef to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, which acquainted us with him by sending one of his recipes.

While most home cooks may not want to take on his Tomato Gelée, it’s easy to whip up his reversal of the conventional steak salad, greens topped with sliced steak.

Here, the positions are reversed.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. Pickle the vegetables (this can be done up to a week in advance).

2. Cook and plate the protein.

3. Top the protein with the dressed salad.

4. Garnish and serve.