2/21/2008

Nanny Diggle's German Potato Salad

Because I am writing about the letter Nanny wrote in 1918 I have been thinking about her quite a lot this week. Remembering bits and pieces as I reach back to bring memories of her closer to the front.

Today as I was driving down Connecticutt Avenue on my way to tell stories to the women at my favorite retirment community, I was visualizing 826 Central Avenue. Unbidden an image of Nanny's German Potato salad came to mind. I loved that stuff. As I thought about it I could see a big dish of it sitting on the side-board in her dining room, and then I could taste it.

Nanny made it for special occasions. She gave my mother the recipe and later I brought the recipe with me when Jim and I got married.

Ok Ok these days I am a lazy cook - but now that thinking about it has whet my appetite, I think I will just have to make a big dish of this delicious concoction very soon.

As I understanbd it Nanny made up the recipe or adapted her version from a recipe she read. I would like to think she made it up. And always have because I have never run across on anyone's table who was outside her circle of influence.

Nanny's German Potato Salad
Ingredients:
10 red skin potatoes - or Irish potatoes
lb bacon strips
large jar regular dill pickle strips or rounds ( not kosher dill pickles)
1 large bottle Kraft Creamy French Dressing
2 red onions -

Fry out a lb of bacon strips - drain ono paper towels.
Boil 10 medium sized peeled whole potatoes. Cook til tender, drain and then when cool, slice into medium thin pieces.
Slice the red onions into thin slices
Assemble in a large oblong pyrex dish - by layers -
layer one - sliced potatoes
Layer two - dill pickles
layer three - onion slices ( separated into rings)
layer four: bacon strips - crumbled. or torn into smaller pieces
Repeat these layers until dish is filled - or you have used up all the prepared ingredients.
Last step: Pour Kraft creamy french dressing over the top - lavishly - letting the dressing run down through the layers.
Cover with saran wrap or aluminum foil and let the salad set in the refigerator at least several hours, best over-night.

Great served with baked ham.

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