Mother’s day we decided to try new things this was one from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen. As mentioned I did not have the watercress so substituted fresh cilantro and fresh ground pepper. I can see that watercress would add a noteworthy for a peppery, tangy flavor and be very nice but one works with what they have.

For a light lunch, toss this salad with chunks of grilled tuna, sliced Kalamata olives and roasted red bell peppers. Or sprinkle with toasted walnuts, dried cranberries and crumbled goat cheese, and serve as a first course to a winter meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. small fingerlings, Yukon Gold or new potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 bunches watercress, large stems removed

Tweaks

• I did not have so I used fresh cilantro from the garden instead
• 8-10 fresh green beans cut in to bite size pieces
• 5 cherry tomatoes halved
• ¼ cup frozen corn

How:

Preheat an oven to 400º.

In a bowl, combine the potatoes, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet or a small roasting pan and roast until the potatoes are tender, golden and crisp, about 1 hour. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar (I used 18 year old) and mustard until blended. Add the extra-virgin olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth and emulsified. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

In another small bowl combine the green beans, tomatoes and corn with 1-2 Tbsp. of vinaigrette set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, cilantro, green bean, tomatoes, corn and vinaigrette, to taste, and toss to mix.