Not Your Ordinary Potato Salad with Herbed Yoghurt and Lemon Dressing

How do I know that Summer has finally arrived?  It isn't by looking at the calendar, but by peeking out into my Urban Jungle on the porch!  The sun is so warm and the days so long that my herbs suddenly seem to be bursting out of their window boxes and the tomatoes are up to the balcony ceiling!  I decided to celebrate by making the herbs the center of attention in this Not-Your-Ordinary Potato Salad recipe. 

I enjoy this recipe for a number of reasons.  Not only does it give me a chance to enjoy all the "fruits" or my labor, but I also think there's just nothing that says "Summer" quite like potato salad.  If that isn't cause for celebration enough, this recipe happens to be a dramatic departure from the unappealing, over-dressed and mayonaisse-laden potato salad that comes in giant tubs at the supermarket.  This version is fresh, low in fat, super tangy and wonderfully flavorful.  I add a generous helping of greens and some farm-fresh eggs to make it a meal, but in smaller portions it also makes a wonderful accompaniment to any sort of grilled protein or meat!

So here is a hearty and healthy salad made with lots of love, from garden to plate.  Really, I think that is what this time of year is all about.  Happy Summer, everybody!  :)

Not Your Ordinary Potato Salad with Herbed Yoghurt and Lemon Dressing
serves 4 as an entree

Dressing:
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup Nonfat Greek-style yoghurt (I used Fage)
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup fresh chives, very finely chopped
1 garlic scape, very finely chopped (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
1/4 cup fresh mint, very finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
2 lbs red potatoes or fingerling potatoes, large-diced
6 cup fresh mixed salad greens, torn into bite-sized pieces
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

First, bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add the potatoes and a little salt and cook until just tender, about 7 minutes.  Drain and set aside. 

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.  Add potatoes and sliced eggs and toss until completely coated.  Allow to cool in the refrigerator until potatoes are no longer warm (so as not to wilt the lettuce).  Once cool, add salad greens and toss lightly to combine.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.