Prairie Potato Salad By: Nadia Golah-Rusnak Prairie Potato Salad is a wonderful recipe, jam-packed with creamy, tangy flavours. It's delightfully simple and only takes about twenty minutes to make. Some say fresh ingredients are the key to making this dish wonderful. Everyone has their own take on this summer staple, and each person thinks that their version is the best. Yet, their potato salad is second rate compared to that of my grandmother’s. Perhaps her love was the secret ingredient that truly elevated this dish, making it wholesome and magical. It always made the entire family ask for more! My grandmother, Lorette died In December 2025. I knew that her health was deteriorating, but still I found her passing unexpected. One of my last memories that I cherish is her making a potato salad in her warm and cozy bungalow kitchen in Red Deer, Alberta. Truthfully, I never really liked potato salad, as I thought mayonnaise was thick and sour, and made the meal unappetizing. However, my grandmother convinced me to make it anyway. “Believe me Nadia, learn to make this recipe, everyone loves it!” We began collecting ingredients. Potatoes and chives from her backyard garden, eggs, and homemade pickles that she bought from the Hutterites at the weekly farmer’s market. I was surprised to learn potato salad pickles in it! I started by chopping the herbs as my grandmother perfectly peeled the potatoes beside me. We started talking about life as we cooked together. She told me about when she was young, and what life in rural Alberta was like. How they used to sled around town, how her father was a school board trustee, how she worked on the farm, and how she was deadly scared of collecting eggs because the chickens would peck her. It was like hearing a whole new version of her, and I loved it. I still think back to these stories to this day. In return, I told her about school, and what life in Ottawa was like. We felt connected, intertwined. We talked, and cooked together for what felt like hours, despite it hardly even being twenty minutes. We didn’t use measurements; we just added however much of each ingredient felt right. She decided to add pickles but only if “the mood was right”. Something about that day made the mood feel perfect, so we added extra. She told me that the secret to stellar potato salad was to make a flavourful dressing. “Not just mayonnaise, Nadia, a little sugar or maple syrup, and also a pit of apple cider vinegar or pickle juice”. “Remember, Nadia, just like in life, make it balanced, a little bit of sweet, with a little bit of acid, and you will be sure to have success”. As we finished the potato salad, I found myself longing for it to have taken longer, so we could spend more time together. We served the potato salad in a bowl. I was skeptical and thought I would hate it, but to my surprise,it was delicious. It was creamy, yet tangy. Nice, and cool like a snowstorm on my tongue in the summer heat. It wasn’t bland like most potato salads. She also told me: don’t forget if you don't have pickles, use radishes, if you don't have chives, use dill. Make the recipe you own and put your own magic into it. I was delighted that we got to spend time together and have such a meaningful talk before she died. Perhaps what she taught me was not only how to make a potato salad but also how to go with the flow. I will forever cherish that moment when my Grandmother and I made Prairie Potato salad.
Recipe Prep time 20 min; yields 1 large bowl of Prairie Potato Salad Ingredients: A lot of peeled medium sized potatoes 1 cubed round red radish A bit of onion A sprinkle of cup chives Just enough pickles (if the mood is right)
For the dressing A splatter of mayonnaise A drizzle of Dijon mustard A splash of apple cider vinegar 2 large eggs or 4 small ones A pinch of salt and pepper for taste
(Add good conversation for full effect)
Procedure: Prep ingredients. 1. Peel and chop potatoes into medium sized cubes, cut radish, onions and pickles, and chives into small cubes. Set aside chopped ingredients. 2. Boil potatoes and eggs in a medium sized saucepan. Prep dressing. 3. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard. Assemble. 4. Put the boiled Potatoes and eggs in a large bowl, and combine the rest of the chopped ingredients over the cooked Potatoes and eggs. 5. Pour dressing over the large bowl, stir to make sure it is evenly distributed. 6. Chill for 1 hour. 7. Recommended to serve in antique bowls. Bon Appetit!