Today I was filling out a permission form for my first grader to go on a school field trip. I wasn’t really paying attention and then I realized that the field trip is next week and they are going to the Botanic Garden. What? With the kind of weather we are having here in Chicago, I don’t think the Botanic Garden is an ideal field trip destination. Well, it isn’t for me at least. I’d prefer the indoors of the Science Museum in weather like this. But I guess kids don’t care so much, so I just hope they don’t get rained out like their field trip in the fall.
To keep my spirits up while the weather doesn’t cooperate, I make summer recipes. Maionese, as Brazilians call potato salad, is very popular in the summer with Churrasco. Soon enough we, or my husband as in my case, will be grilling in the backyard and we will be preparing all the delicious sides to go with it. Make sure to include a Brazilian Potato Salad in your menu this summer.
Maionese (Brazilian Potato Salad)
4 to 5 cups potato cubes, peeled and cooked (from about 6 potatos)
1 cup carrots cut in small cubes, peeled and cooked (from about 2 small carrots)
1 cup green beans, cooked and cut in ½ inch pieces
2 Tbsp shredded onion
½ cup of canned corn
½ cup peas
½ cup green olives, sliced
1 or 1 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
About ½ cup of mayonnaise, more or less to taste
Peel and cut the potatoes in cubes approximately ½ inch. Boil in water and salt until barely tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool.
Peel and chop off end of carrots. Cut into small cubes and boil until tender-crisp. Drain and let cool.
I use frozen organic green beans and boil in a little bit of salted water just until tender crisp. Then I cut them in small pieces. Cook frozen peas also until tender-crisp. You don’t want anything mush or falling apart.
Mix together the potato, carrots, green beans, onion, pea, corn, olives and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, going light on the salt as the mayonnaise is already quite salty.
Add about ½ cup of mayonnaise and mix. Put in the fridge for about an hour at least before serving.
