2020-04-01 Taste of Home

CONTEST

72 APRIL/MAY 2020 TASTEOFHOME.COM

GALA McGAUGHEY

Grand Prize Winner

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO

SUBMIT THIS ROSY SIDE DISH?

Russian potato salad has

been a fixture at my family

gatherings as far back as

I can remember. When my

grandmother passed away

at 96, I started making it for

the family for holidays, and

it became an homage to her.

WHAT IS THE FIRST RECIPE

YOU REMEMBER COOKING?

The first dish I remember

making was ikra, or poor

man’s caviar, which includes

eggplant, tomatoes and

onions. I would cry while

cutting the onions, which

made my grandmother laugh.

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER

FAVORITE RECIPES YOU

RECEIVED FROM MOM

OR GRANDMA?

There’s my mother’s

fresh cranberry mold that

everyone looks forward to

for Thanksgiving, of course.

Plus, her spinach salad with

strawberries and candied

pecans is my go-to for a

summer gathering. And

that ikra is something my

grandmother often made as

I was growing up, so I now

make it for my family.

WHAT WAS YOUR

GRANDMA’S BEST PIECE

OF CULINARY ADVICE?

It sounds cliche, but my

grandmother’s adage was

that the first ingredient in

every dish is love. Also, she

didn’t worry about specific

measurements of each

ingredient—simply taste

at every step along the way.

Grand Prize

Russian Potato Salad

This traditional Russian potato salad

recipe comes from my gr andmother,

who had originally written it down in

Russian. She translated it for me when

I was a teenager.

—Gala McGaughey, Berryville, VA

Prep: 30 min.

Cook: 10 min. + chilling

Makes: 16 ser vings

5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and

cubed (about 8 cups)

¹₃ cup sugar

¹₃ cup cider vinegar

¹₄ cup canola oil

1 can ( 14 ¹₂ oz.) sliced

carrots, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

2 jars (16 oz. each) pickled whole

beets, drained and chopped

1 cup chopped celery

¹₂ cup chopped sweet pickles

¹₂ cup chopped dill pickles

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. salt

¹₂ tsp. pepper

1. Place the potatoes in a Dutch
   oven; cover with water. Bring to a
   boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer
   until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain
   and transfer to a large bowl.


2. Meanwhile, combine sugar and
   vinegar in a small saucepan. Cook
   and stir over medium heat until
   the sugar is dissolved; pour over
   the hot potatoes. Cool to room
   temperature.


3. In a large skillet, heat canola oil
   over medium-high heat. Add carrots
   and the onion; cook and stir until
   crisp-tender, 6-8 minutes. Add
   to potatoes. Stir in beets, celery
   and pickles. Combine mayonnaise,
   salt and pepper; gently stir into the
   potato mixture. Refrigerate, covered,
   until chilled.
   ³
   ₄ CUP 269 cal., 14g fat (2g sat. fat),
   1mg chol., 455mg sod., 35g carb.
   (15g sugars, 3g fiber), 2g pro.
   test kitchen tip It’s easy to make
   this recipe sugar-free. Simply use
   no-sugar-added sweet gherkins
   and beets, and substitute Splenda
   for the sugar.

Grand

Prize

Russian Potato

Salad