This is one of the very first things I was taught to make as a child, being not much taller than a grasshopper. My parents loved their mustard potato salad. I thought I was a big kid when I got permission to make the salad “all by myself” for a wiener roast with my family on a summer day. Whenever I make this, it takes me back to then, to time with my parents and my brothers and sister. Those days are not the past. Those days go on inside the heart. Those days are my present-day and my future, in everything that I do now and thereafter. 
I like how differently you can make potato salad, what you put in or leave out to change the over-all taste. You can be as creative as you want to be, and you can use those fresh leftovers in the ‘fridge for potato salad. It’s convenient. This is actually an economical dish to make, it’s not expensive. You might run out of mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish, but it’s no big deal. You’re not breaking the bank. You’re basically using what you have in your refrigerator and pantry. It’s a blessing to have fresh ingredients from your garden.
I sliced crisp raw asparagus that I needed to use up before it spoiled, taking off the woody ends, first. I also stirred in chopped fresh chives from the garden and yellow lettuce flowers as well as garnishing the salad with them and with paprika. Smoked or sweet Hungarian paprika is my favorite to use, and it gives it that burst of vintage color on bright yellow!
For a large serving bowl, I chopped and added 1 large boiled egg. I think 2 would have made it even better.
Don’t over-cook the potatoes. Cover a large pot of russets with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook ’til fork-tender, no longer than. Slip off the skins immediately, being careful not to burn fingers and hands. If chilled, the skins are resistant to slip off with ease.
For the greens, I coiled a large peppery-flavored horseradish leaf and sliced it into the salad. It gave it a significant variance. So far, this is my favorite way of making yellow mustard potato salad.
I used 3 kinds of mustard: Dry mustard, yellow picnic mustard, and Dijon mustard. I don’t measure anything when it comes to potato salad. I go by taste-testing it because it’s slightly different each time I make it, what and how I want it made for that particular day or event.
If not using a sweet (hot pepper) pickle relish and using the standard sweet pickle relish, dice and add 1/2 to 1 whole jalapeno. I went ahead and included it even though I had a hot pepper sweet pickle relish. It gave it a mild bite of heat. It wasn’t over-bearing, but just right. I salted lightly. I left out the black pepper– I didn’t need it for having the peppery gigantic horseradish leaf and the hot sweet pickle relish that gave it a slight kick in the pants.
Along with the chives, I finely chopped yellow onion.
This has to be refrigerated hours in advance before serving to do it justice– It’s perfect when it’s chilled.
— Susan Nuyt, Skirt in the Kitchen
petite edible flowers
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