As I mentioned in the post below, if you read the Mitford books by Jan Karon, then you probably get as much of a kick out of Uncle Billy's "Well I'll be et fer a tater" as I do. And as far as taters go, Karon has another character in Mitford that is quite an amazing cook - which is where I got the much-asked-for potato salad recipe from.
So in honor of Father Tim's plain-spoken and feisty housekeeper Puny, here it is:
PUNY'S POTATO SALAD
7 medium russet potatoes
1 T. plus 1 1/4 tsp salt
2 T. bacon drippings
4 medium hard-cooked eggs, mashed
2 T. red onions, chopped
1/2 c. thinly-sliced celery
1 3/4 c. Hellmann's mayonnaise
2 tsp. yellow mustard
2 T. sour cream
2 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Parsley flakes and paprika for garnish
Peel and cube the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, and add water to cover along with 1 T. salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Add the bacon drippings and shake the colander to coat. Cover loosely and let the potatoes cool completely.
Ina large bowl, combine the potatoes, mashed eggs, red onions, and celery. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream, and vinegar and stir it into the potatoes. Add 1 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Just before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Garnish the salad with the crumbled bacon, parsley flakes, and paprika.
PRINTABLE RECIPE: Puny's Potato Salad
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For all of the fantastic recipes from Miss Karon's Mitford characters, I highly recommend the book Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader. My mother got me mine as a gift, and it is truly my favorite cookbook! (Thanks, Mom)