Memorial Day

For the Memorial Day evening meal, I planned not to plan. I spent a great deal of the day catching up on work around my house, then outside in the late afternoon to yard and garden concerns. After having my grandson's for an overnight on Friday, then playing most of the day with them on Saturday, I really didn't get a whole lot accomplished. Sunday was a very full day with church affair's, so there you have it, nothing done at home.
I like housework, but I love working outside in my green world. Awaiting my attention was mowing and weeding, plus I needed to replant some Onion Chives that were crying for a better spot to thrive. Although it was a day spent in overdrive, my tiredness was most welcome in contrast to the tiredness of my day job.

As the evening shadows became long and twilight was approaching, I fired up the grill for a quiet spell at the end of my day. I had found a Pork Tenderloin in the freezer that morning so I thawed it, prepared a marinade for it, covered it with plastic wrap and sent it to chill in the fridge. That was waiting for me when the dinner plans were set in motion. But what to serve alongside? A veggie dish that wouldn't be too much trouble, but still pair well with the tenderloin. I love potato salad made with the new potatoes that are so abundant in the Spring and I just happen to have several that were the perfect size. My paternal grandmother made this ultra simple potato salad that I hadn't made in a very long time so I decided to give it a whirl. The Horn Player absolutely loved it and insisted I share it here.

Mammy's Potato Salad

4 to 5 medium new red potatoes
Salt
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon yellow mustard
1/2 cup onion (chopped finely or even grated)
Black Pepper (generous grind)
4 eggs (boiled)
Good vinegar (I used sugar cane vinegar)

Scrub the potatoes well and scrap off any blemishes while leaving the soft skin. Cut into fourths and place into a pot of water. Add salt to taste. Boil the potatoes until tender, but not falling apart soft; you want them to hold together. Pour them into a colander when done, then into a mixing bowl and set aside. While the potatoes are boiling, also boil the eggs. When the eggs are done, remove from the heat, run under cool water, peel and half each one.

Note: My way to boil eggs...I cover eggs with cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. I turn off the heat, but leave on the burner. Set a timer for exactly 7 minutes and voila...perfectly cooked eggs.

Then into a small mixing bowl add the egg yolks only (reserving the white part). Mash the yolks well and add mayo, mustard, onion and black pepper. Stir to incorporate. Chop the egg whites and add to the potatoes then sprinkle lightly with cane vinegar. Add the egg yolk/mayo dressing to the drained potatoes and toss to coat well with the dressing. If you feel you need it, add more mayo; adjust the salt if necessary, also. Serve immediately.

A bit of lagniappe...

Tenderloin Marinade

1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2-3 sprigs of Rosemary
2 garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

Into a mortar and pestle add the salt and peppercorns. Add the peeled garlic cloves that have been cut in half. Grind to a paste making sure the pepper corns are nicely broken as well. Add the rosemary leaves that have been stripped from the woody stalks and grind once more. Drizzle in some olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. With a spoon, stir well and pour over the tenderloin. Turn to coat well and place in the fridge to marinate.
You can grill this on an outdoor grill or sear it off in cast iron skillet on the stove and finish cooking in the oven. Do not over cook...remove from the heat, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest and finish cooking with the carry-over heat. Slice and serve.