Moldavian Potato, Feta and Scallion Salad

j-jitterbug's Note:

This Salata de Cartofi cu Brinza is a delightful alternative to traditional potato salad. The recipe calls for red skinned potatoes, but it's grand with others too. Originally from Please to the Table, a Russian Cookbook.

• Total Time: 22 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 2 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 1.0 salad

• 6 medium red potatoes
• 1⁄3; cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed in a garlic press
• 1 cup feta cheese , crumbled
• ½ cup scallion , finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dill , finely chopped
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 6 black olives (optional) or 6 slices roasted red peppers (optional)

Directions:

1. Clean and cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, 18-20 minutes.
2. Chop, press and crumble other ingredients.
3. Cool potatoes until they can be handled, then dice into 3/4-inch cubes.
4. Toss with olive oil and garlic, then let fully cool to room temperature.
5. Add feta and scallions and drizzle with vinegar.
6. Add dill, salt& pepper, and toss gently.
7. Let rest for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to mingle.
8. Add optional garnish and serve.

Reviews

[Wanna swap recipes?]

I'm not a fan of mayo based potato salad so this was wonderful! I left out the olives since I don't like them, but my husband said it would have added something to the dish. We both said it was "repeatable" which is a good thing in this house! I also diced prior to cooking so I did not have to handle hot potatoes! I used dried dill.

[Kristine at Food.com]

Brought this to a picnic -- huge hit! I had a little leftover that I shared with some Russian friends to get their opinion, and they were into it, too. They were glad it wasn't the typical mayo-saturated American potato salad. Very easy to prep and has a nice flavor with the added feta.

[OceanLyons]

I added chopped marinated red peppers, artichokes, and green olives. Yum! I also diced the potatoes to speed up the cooking time, and ran them under cool water. Don't overcook the potatoes!