Grilled Pesto, Pine Nut Potato Salad

"This is a great twist of a simple classic dish. Grilled potatoes, radicchio, and onion with toasted pine nuts and a pesto dressing. Very simple. Fresh diced celery and a few scallions add a fresh flavor to this great dish. Served warm, room temp or cold. It is perfect summertime BBQ fare. I love to serve this on a big platter with the grilled radicchio and onions on the bottom and top with with the roasted potato salad."
 
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Ready In:
25mins
Ingredients:
14
Serves:
6
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ingredients

  • Base Layer

  • 1 head radicchio, cut in quarters
  • 1 large onion, cut in thick slices
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Salad

  • 1 12 lbs red potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch thick slices for grilling (skins on)
  • 4 scallions, fine chopped
  • 12 cup celery, include the leafs, fine chopped
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and chopped
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • Dressing

  • 14 cup mayonnaise
  • 14 cup pesto sauce (store bought is fine or you can make your own)
  • Garnish

  • 1 lemon, cut in wedges (squeeze 1 lemon wedge over the potatoes)
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directions

  • Dressing -- I make this first and just set to the side as I get ready to grill the vegetables.
  • Pine Nuts -- In a small dry sauce pan, add the pine nuts and heat to medium high. Toast the nuts until they begin to get lightly brown. You can smell the nuts when they become toasted. Watch them, they don't take long and you don't want them to burn. Remove to a small plate or paper towel to cool. They are done.
  • Potatoes, Onion and Radicchio -- Simply brush the potato slices, radicchio and onion slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on medium heat (inside or outside grill) until the potatoes are fork tender but not falling apart, the onion slices are golden brown and tender and the radicchio gets a nice sear and becomes slightly tender but not soft, you still want a crisp texture.
  • Radicchio and Onions -- Chop up the onions and the radicchio. Toss together in a medium size bowl with a little salt and pepper if needed, and just a drizzle of olive oil. NOT too much, just a light drizzle (optional). Transfer to a large serving bowl or platter.
  • Salad -- To that same bowl you used for the radicchio, add the potatoes, celery, scallions and 1/2 of the dressing and toss. The potatoes will break up slightly as you toss the salad. Add as much dressing as you like. I don't like too much dressing, but add what you like.
  • Serve -- Add the creamy potato salad over the radicchio and onions and finish with the pine nuts. I often drizzle a little olive oil on top as a garnish. Squeeze a lemon wedge and put the others around the salad.
  • Note: As I said, warm, room temp or chilled - it is a great twist on a traditional potato salad.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>Growing up in Michigan, I spent my summers at my cottage in the Northern part up by Traverscity. On a lake, big garden which had all the vegetables you could imagine. My mom taught school, so summers were our vacation time. Gramps and I fished all the time so fresh fish was always on the menu, perch, blue gill, walleye and small and large mouth bass. At age 5 I learned how to clean my own fish and by 10 I was making dinner, canning vegetables and fruits, making pies and fresh breads. Apples fresh picked every fall, strawberries in June and July, Cherries at the Cherry Festival in Traverscity. So fresh foods always were a big part. Mom worked as a teacher during the year so dinner was more traditional with pot roasts, meatloaf, etc, but it seemed we always had fresh fruits and vegetables as part of the meal. Mom also didn't use as many spices as I do, but times were different back then. <br /> <br />So ... My motto is ... There is NO Right and NO Wrong with cooking. So many people thing they have to follow a recipe. But NO ... a recipe is a method and directions to help and teach someone. Cooking is about personal tastes and flavors. I love garlic ... and another person may not. I like heat ... but you may not. Recipes are building blocks, NOT text ground in stone. Use them to make and build on. Even my recipes I don't follow most times --They are a base. That is what cooking is to me. A base of layer upon layer of flavors. <br /> <br />I still dislike using canned soups or packaged gravies/seasoning ... but I admit, I do use them. I have a few recipes that use them. But I try to strive to teach people to use fresh ingredients, they are first ... so much healthier for you ... and second, in the end less expensive. But we all have our moments including me. <br /> <br />So, lets see ... In the past, I have worked as a hostess, bartender, waitress, then a short order cook, salad girl in the kitchen, sort of assistant chef, head chef, co owner of a restaurant ... now a consultant to a catering company/restaurant, I cater myself and I'm a personal chef for a elderly lady. I work doing data entry during the day, and now and then try to have fun which is not very often due to my job(s). <br /> <br />I have a 21 year old who at times is going on 12, aren't they all. Was married and now single and just trying to enjoy life one day at a time. I'm writing a cookbook ... name is still in the works but it is dedicated to those people who never learned, to cook. Single Moms, Dads, or Just Busy Parents. Those individuals that think you can't make a great dinner for not a lot of money. You can entertain on a budget and I want people to know that gourmet tasting food doesn't have to be from a can of soup or a box, and healthy food doesn't come from a drive through. There are some really good meals that people can make which are healthy and will save money but taste amazing. So I guess that is my current goal. We all take short cuts and I have no problem with that - I do it too. I volunteer and make food for the homeless every couple of months, donating my time and money. I usually make soup for them and many times get donations from a local grocery stores, Sams Club, Walmart etc, with broth, and vegetables. It makes my cost very little and well worth every minute I spend. Like anyone, life is always trying to figure things out and do the best we can and have fun some how along the way.</p>
 
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