Yukon gold potatoes lovingly combined with tzatziki sauce. Delicious, perfect for your next cookout, and not a speck of mayo in sight.
I need to digress from potato salad for just a hot minute. If all you’re here for is potato salad, keep scrollin’ because I’m gonna babble for a second.
I’ve been rereading the Harry Potter series recently. I got a little bogged down with life around book three, but got moving on it again a couple of weeks ago and have hardly put the books down since. (In case you’re wondering, I’m in book five and no, I don’t think my heart can handle the loss of Sirius again.)
This is hardly my first time reading, or even rereading the series. And yet I can’t put the dang things down. I know exactly what is going to happen, but it tears me apart into little pieces every time something tragic occurs. My heart still beats like rapid fire every time Harry comes face-to-face with Voldemort. I still shout “FINALLY!” when Ron and Hermione finally get their crap together at the end of the 7th book.
I know logically these aren’t real people. I know that I’m not going to run into Harry or Sirius or – heavenhelpmeIwishhewasreal – Dumbledore on the street, and yet…these characters are so real to me. And it is not even so much that I literally grew up with them (the first book came out when I was 10 and the last one came out the summer I graduated from high school) – I feel this way about all of my favorite novels. I can’t talk to you about the antagonist in East of Eden – I’ll get too mad and you’ll think I’m a lunatic. The Fault in Our Stars? Excuse me while I have a complete emotional meltdown and carry around an emotional hangover for three days (I think the cure for that is ice cream, by the way).
Sometimes I wonder what I would cook for my favorite characters. (Yes, I do realize I just inadvertently labeled myself as a complete freak.) Molly Weasley is one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter books. I think it is because she is always cooking for people and wants to make sure all of her children – Harry included – are well fed. This is the type of woman I can hang with. I like to think that if Mrs. Weasley and I were cooking together, we would whip up quite the meal – she would be totally impressed with my ability to make a pie crust without using magic, and I would totally envy her ability to peel potatoes with just a flick of her wand. I trust that we would pull together quite a spread. In fact, this potato salad would probably make the cut. The recipe makes enough to feed a Weasley-sized family (that is to say, enough to feed a small army, so halve the recipe if you are cooking for a normal amount of people), and there isn’t a person around who doesn’t seem to love potato salad.
My own bit of magic? Because this is a Tzatziki Potato Salad, we use Greek yogurt to make the salad creamy. There’s not a spoonful of mayo to be found!
PS – For my fellow book worms out there, this article proves why we are awesome.
Tzatziki Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes diced
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- Heavy splash red wine vinegar
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place diced potatoes into a large pot. Cover with cold water and season liberally with salt. Bring a a boil; boil until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes (depending on the size of your potato pieces). Drain potatoes; set aside to cool.
- Peel cucumbers and slice in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, then dice and place in the biggest bowl you have. Add the rest of the ingredients; stir to combine. Fold in the cooled potatoes. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
We must be twins!! I stopped reading for awhile, because I’d go into a serious depression when I finished a book! LOVE your potato salad idea! Fabulous!!! 😀
I have to take breaks after super emotionally-taxing books. I try to keep some “fluff” books hanging around to break up the emotional hangovers, but there are times I just have to sit down and watch trashy TV instead to preserve my sanity. 😉
SIRIUS DIES?!?!
Just kidding. 😉
I want all of this potato salad in my pie hole. Just saying.
SPOILER ALERT: So does everyone else likeable in those books. And by that I mean Hedwig and Dobby. WAHHHH!
I agree Mrs. Weasley would be a hoot. Plus I wouldn’t have to wear myself out cleaning before she came over to cook.
Exactly! I need friends who can do magic.
I loved this post as I too am Harry Potter’s biggest fan. My favourite has to be the first book, I have to say – it’s just so funny.
My favourite character is Hermione. I just love how she’s such a know-it-all but really sweet at the same time. Sigh. I think I need to go and re-read all the books now as well!!
As for this potato salad, well … I lived in Greece for years on end and never once thought of doing this. It’s a fabulous idea!
My favorite thing might be Hermione and S.P.E.W. “It’s not spew!!!”
Okay, confession: I’ve never read a single Harry Potter book, and I haven’t even seen all the movies. I think I saw the first 3. But Mrs. Weasly was one of my favorites in the first 3 and I could TOTALLY see cooking with her. Can she come hang with us in IL? Cause that’d be great!
P.S. I don’t know who Sirius is….I don’t think.
I don’t think I even know you anymore, but I do know we need to right this wrong come September 25.
PS – Sirius appears in #3. You would totally love him.
This looks delicious! I make a very similar potato salad with yogurt and dill. I like your inclusion of cucumber!
How cool is this?? Creamy but not gluggy with Mayo! I love tzatziki, I eat tonnes of it at home but normally with bread. I love sour cream with my taters but now I am going to try this spark of Stephie-genius! Love it. Perfect for summer BBQs! Xx
P.S I am a fellow Harry Potter fanatic who mourned when the series ended. And I am purposely not reading ‘The Fault in our Stars’ because I don’t think my tear ducts could handle it.
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