Happy July! That means Fourth of July picnics, picnics at the park, picnics at the lake, and also picnics in the backyard! We LOVE eating outdoors and do so at any opportunity! But with that, there’s always the need to be careful with food preservation. After having food poisoning once, I’ve been quite careful about keeping food cold!

It’s for that reason that I recently went searching for a recipe for potato salad to take to our church picnic this weekend that didn’t require any mayonnaise. The German potato salads are vinegar based, making them the perfect addition. I found a great recipe on Taste of Home’s web site. I made it a day ahead so we could have some for supper, and then also enjoy it at our church picnic.

German potato salad is typically served warm. It was delicious that way when I first made it, but it was also good cold the next day. The recipe calls for several kinds of potatoes to make it “red, white and blue.” I used what I had on hand – red and yellow potatoes. It didn’t change the taste at all. Here’s the recipe:
Red, White and Blue Potato Salad

• 1-1/4 pounds small purple potatoes (about 11), quartered
• 1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes (about 9), quartered
• 1 pound small red potatoes (about 9), quartered
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup white wine or additional chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoons stone-ground mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
• 8 green onions, chopped
• 3/4 pound bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 3 tablespoons each minced fresh basil, dill and parsley
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Place all potatoes in a Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain; transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle potatoes with stock and wine; toss gently, allowing liquids to absorb.
2. In a small bowl, whisk vinegars, mustards, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil until blended. Add vinaigrette, vegetables, bacon and herbs to potato mixture; toss to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve warm.

This salad is delicious either hot or cold, and there’s no worry of it spoiling since there’s no mayo! This would be the perfect addition to your Fourth of July gathering!

Enjoy a worry-free Happy Independence Day!