Two weeks ago, I shared my attempt at improving a family favorite potato salad. I also shared with you my utter failure. You see, this particular potato salad, which was created by my late mother-in law, contains fresh cucumbers. It is a delightfully different take on a classic dish, but because of the cucumbers, it doesn’t hold for very long. I attempted to remedy that situation by salting the cucumbers to release the excess water, but in the end completely lost the balance of flavors. So, I’m back to share how to make the original version, and this time, I have decided that the potato salad is perfect just as it is meant to be.

When making potato salad, I frequently boil my potatoes whole and unpeeled, but for today’s version, I decided that dicing and peeling the potatoes before boiling would be the better route. It is best to use a waxy potato. I usually use a red or white potato, but I think a Yukon gold would also work. As for the cucumber, I did remove the seeds, which is a great source of the excess moisture that I was trying to avoid in my last post. You can use an English cucumber, but my husband Tom insists that a plain cucumber is best to use when replicating his mother’s recipe.

Tina’s Potato Salad

• 2 pounds of white or red potatoes
• 6 hard boiled eggs
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp celery seeds
• salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice potatoes into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a pot covered with an inch of salted water. Bring water to a boil, then gently boil the potatoes until fork tender (about 15 minutes). Drain potatoes.

Peel and seed cucumber. Cut into 1 inch dice. Peel and small dice hard boiled eggs.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate and serve on the same day.

So, there it is. With the fresh cucumber and celery seed, it is quite a unique and refreshing version of a perpetual favorite. In this case, I’ve learned not to fix what wasn’t broken. Have a happy 4th!