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)
¹₃ cup sugar
¹₃ cup cider vinegar
¹₄ cup canola oil
1 can ( 14 ¹₂ oz.) sliced
carrots, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 jars (16 oz. each) pickled whole
beets, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped celery
¹₂ cup chopped sweet pickles
¹₂ cup chopped dill pickles
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. salt
¹₂ tsp. pepper
- 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. - 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. - 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