Here is the third in our trio of potato salads. It calls for chile powder and sauce instead of pods to elevate the heat level.

Ingredients

• 4 medium Russet potatoes

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 2 1/2 teaspoons red New Mexican chile powder

• 1 teaspoon bottled hot sauce (we prefer Uno hot sauce)

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 1 8-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrot

• 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

• 1/2 cup sliced ripe olives

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large Dutch-style casserole and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn the heat down so the water is at a gentle boil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until a knife pierces them easily. Drain, peel, and cube the potatoes into a large bowl while still warm.

In a small glass jar, combine the oil, vinegar, chile powder, and hot sauce and shake vigorously. Pour over the potatoes and toss gently. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Here are a few recommendations to make this salad as tasty as possible: first, buy good white wine vinegar; second, make sure you use Italian parsley for its spark, and, if you can’t find it, grow it or substitute watercress with its peppery overtones; and third, be prepared to run out of salad–it really is that good.

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 3/4 cup chopped green onions

• 1 cup celery, diced

• 2 hard boiled eggs, chop the whites only (feed the yolk to the dog)

• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

• 2/3 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

• 1/2 cup chopped New Mexican green chile

• 3/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt

• 1 tablespoon horseradish

• 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn the heat down so the water is at a gentle boil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overcook, or you will have mashed potato salad! Drain the potatoes and peel quickly–they still need to be hot. Pierce the potato with a fork and peel quickly. On a cutting board, slice the potato lengthwise and then slice into 1/4 inch thick slices and put them into a large bowl. Sprinkle the slices with the vinegar.

Add the garlic, green onion, celery, chopped whites of the hard-boiled eggs, parsley, cucumber, and chile to the potatoes and toss gently.

In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, horseradish, mustard, salt, and black pepper together. Pour this mixture over the potato-vegetable mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve slightly chilled.

This simple potato salad is served warm and can be put together quickly after the potatoes are boiled. The recipe can be doubled or tripled easily. It’s a nice change from the ordinary potato salad, and the flavors will really charge your palate.

Ingredients

• 10 small red potatoes, scrubbed thoroughly, skins left on

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar

• 1/4 cup chile-infused oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh dill or 1 tablespoon of dried dill

• 3/4 cup chopped shallots

• 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, stems removed, sliced into thin rings

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large Dutch-style oven and cover with water. Bring the pot to a boil and then turn it down to a low boil. Cook the potatoes, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, testing them by inserting a sharp knife through the center of the potato. The potatoes should just start to yield to the knife. Do not overcook. Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl.

Using a sharp knife, cut the potatoes into halves (if they are small) or in quarters (if they are large.) Sprinkle the vinegar over the top of the potatoes and then sprinkle them with the chile oil. Toss gently. Add the dill, the shallots, the pepper rings, the salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve warm.

Jicama is a Mexican root vegetable, and its taste and consistency is a combination of a water chestnut, an apple, and a potato. In fact, some cooks substitute jicama for water chestnuts in Asian recipes. It can be combined with any number of fruits and vegetables because it blends so well with so many flavors.

Ingredients

• 1 head Romaine lettuce, cleaned and dried

• 1/2 pound jicama, peeled and sliced paper thin

• 6 seedless oranges, peeled and sectioned

• 2 red onions, sliced

• 2 teaspoons ground New Mexican red chile powder

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 3 tablespoons orange marmalade

• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Line a shallow bowl with the Romaine leaves. Alternate overlapping circles of jicama, oranges, and onion rings on the leaves.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small glass jar and shake well. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.