So… it’s hot! There is no denying it! The East of England has been gripped by a heatwave like never before. Apparently the last time the weather was like this was 1976. Firstly, I don’t remember that! 😛 Secondly, at present we’ve had no significant rain for over 50 days! When I went outside the other night to feed the hedgehogs (yes, we have a couple of hedgehogs which regularly visit – last night one of them let me sit about two metres away from him whilst he munched on his dinner), anyway, it started raining! 😀 
Rather, it was a very fine drizzle, but it was still rain! Not that anything noticed it! Unfortunately, the ground is still parched. Therefore the soil is still bone dry and rock solid. Similarly, the grass is still brown and dry (it will come back yes? please say yes?!) Everyone everywhere is hot. Now we have an ‘amber’ heat warning in place and we have been advised not to be outside between 11am and 3pm. 
To cook… or not to cook?!
So, we’re not doing much cooking! Actually we’re not doing very much of anything! How do you sleep in this weather? We’re not a country which generally has air conditioning and although the temperature has gone down a bit at night, it still remains hot very hot (the temperature in our usually ‘cold’ house is currently around 26.5 degrees c at night!) Consequently, the radio has kindly told us “another hot sticky sultry day” and… has then advised us that this is the longest UK heatwave on record! 
Anyway, no cooking as such, as it’s far too hot to have the oven on! So it’s cold drinks, salads and ice-cream! So, there are already several salad recipes suitable for picnics on my blog, but this week when we finally managed to dig into the
concreteground and harvest some potatoes, we made this lovely potato salad.I’m taking this over to Angie’s Fiesta Friday this week, co-hosted by Jenny @ Apply To Face Blog and Deb @ Pantry Portfolio Come over and join the fun! Have a look around, find new recipes, make new friends and link your latest blog post up for everyone to see! See you there !☺
Here’s the recipe for the potato salad…
Fresh potatoes with a delicious vegan dressing.
- 6 potatoes chopped into bite-size pieces medium sized or 12-15 very small ones
- 2-3 tablespoons yogurt we used coconut
- 3-4 stalks fresh chives chopped
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes and allow to cool (or use ones already cooked & cooled)
Stir the yogurt until smooth, then add the chives, salt and pepper and mix through.
Add the dressing to the potatoes and gently combine until they potatoes are covered.
Enjoy!
- Refrigerate until served.
- Can be stored refrigerated for 2-3 days (check yogurt date).
- Change the type of yogurt for a different taste (soya, thicker, thinner)
- Add more chives, or try chopped mint instead.
- Mix some Indian spices (1/2-1 tsp each cumin, coriander, turmeric) into the yogurt for a curried potato salad.
- Use different potatoes to find your favourite - try new potatoes with skins on, or fluffy bakers chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- Be fancy and cut your potatoes into equal sized cubes before cooking!
More picnic foods
What other lovely salads could you add to this to make a complete picnic? How about our very popular coleslaw, a grain salad, or two, noodle salad, a bean salad, with houmous, pitta pockets, picnic pies and a delicious not-feta vegan cheese! Oh what a glorious picnic that would be! Local friends if you’re reading this… hint hint for our summer park meet up! 😛 Oh and of course, dessert is needed even in the heat and I opt for these cookies which are becoming a staple in our house!
Have you melted yet, lol? I’m so looking forward to autumn?
I made a variation of this potato salad the other day, one I grew up with: hardly a recipe with olive oil, lemon juice, dried mint and salt lol.
Yesterday, hubbie came back from Romford lol (for work) and brought back enough tea to last me until the end of the year?
Woohoo.. tea!!! Although it’s much too hot for tea here! Yes, I’m most definitely melting – trying to stay indoors where it is a ‘bit’ cooler! Ooo, olive oil version of potato salad sounds yummy! Trying not to stress that workmen have just tarmacked a bit of path right outside my front gate… like half is now paving slab, half is tarmac! grrr! Not even sure it’s level and it’s so not going to set in this weather and it already looks awful! 🙁
No amount of heat stops me drinking tea lol, it’s around 33′ here in sunny Germany too?
Oh dear, it’s defo not the right time to put Tarmac down like you say…hope it ends up looking ‘ok’ x
At the minute it’s looking wonky! Not amused! Have you moved into your new place yet?
This weekend, all being well. Won’t have internet again for a little while?
Oh no… no internet! Have you been furniture shopping yet? How exciting getting the place you wanted! 😀 x
Yes, we’ve bought some bedroom furniture from Ikea for the moment until we get something that’s better quality like Furniture Oak Village UK or something (furniture is ridiculously expensive here, even the likes of Ikea). Also, they’re really into their ‘orthopaedic slats’ that are placed underneath the mattress (each country has its thing lol). That’s not so exciting?
I guess you’ll be glad when you get all unpacked and settled into a permanent place. Are you planning being there long??
Definitely, we hope to be mostly settled by the end of the year, lol. We’re expecting a few furniture deliveries which I’m not looking forward to in case the guys get lost and I can’t give any directions?
Going back to food, I meant to tell you about a ‘pulled artichoke’ recipe I came across recently, along with strawberries and (oat) cream with ‘strawberry mint’ which sounds lovely.
Haven’t you been revisiting your German! ? I’m sure you could give directions… although thinking about it, hubby always laughs at my attempts to give directions in English!?
Pulled artichokes sounds intriguing, I could see how that would work – maybe I should get a couple of plants for the allotment?!?
Strawberries, cream and mint yummy! I’ve been adding mint to everything this week! ?
Have fun moving this weekend… speak soon. x
I’m exactly the same as you regarding (trying) to give instructions even in English haha x
Lol?? I myself think my directions are great… they include everything you might see en route! ?
Yay, the Ikea guys found the place no problem and even came earlier than planned- felt really sorry for them, though, as they were carrying everything on their back up several flights of stairs. The poor guys were sweating buckets by the end of it (I was very surprised and shocked by this, I was expecting them to use a trolley of some sort). We’ve just come back from a food festival where I enjoyed a vegan (but naughty) burger, yum. Have a fab weekend ?
Hooray! furniture!??I’m sure they’re used to it ? It’s finally raining here – having a right old storm with lightening five or six times a minute!!! Food festival ??vegan burger? Have a great weekend. x
All of these look so delicious! Also, that’s crazy about no rain. I feel sorry for your plants.
Thank you… It’s most definitely picnic weather for a few more days here! We’re forecast thunderstorms tomorrow night so I’m praying they don’t pass us by! Off to check the allotment when it’s a bit cooler. .. the weeds seem to be the only thing thriving in this heat (34c today, 36c predicted for tomorrow)!
Wow, you really have some crazy weather there, especially for England. Take care 😉 Those temperatures are usually regular summer temperatures in Serbia, but it seem like we’ve switched this year. We had more rain during summer than, I think in about 20 years. The grass is still green and it is the end of July. Sometimes, in May or June it’s already scorched. I like it cooler like this 🙂
Those potatoes look yummy, I could make some… maybe add some nutritional yeast, too 🙂
Yes Milica… 34c today ?Trains are cancelled or delayed due to the heat! The radio has just told us to take a siesta!?Does the grass always come back?? Potatoes were so good (especially as they were from the garden too) – I’ll try adding nutritional yeast to the next lot (I do keep putting it in everything but didnt think of it in here)! Thanks for visiting me over here again… Make sure you resubscribe (if you’ve not already) as in the move the emails didn’t transfer over! xxx
Yeah, grass comes back after rain comes back, too 🙂 We ate boiled potatoes with hummus last night, but I would love some potato salad 🙂 Resubscribed – love the look, by the way! 🙂
Hooray for the grass! It’s looking VERY sorry for itself-dry and crunchy! Ooo, we made houmous last night and ate it with homemade dolma (recipe coming soon)! Yay that you like the new look☺Have you had a look around??x
Minnesota is in the North of the US and we’ve been having super hot weather, too, but I feel for you with no air! No wonder you’re keeping it light! I love hedgehogs! I think they might be my “spirit” animal, if there is such a thing! I wouldn’t have seen him if you hadn’t pointed him out. How fun!
Mollie all everyone is talking about is the weather! They’ve even started cancelling outdoor events because it’s too hot!!!? We’re really not used to it here but my arthritis is much better in the heat so I’m not complaining!???
I love hedgehogs- definitely able to be your spirit animal!? Shame they only come out at night, I’d love to photograph them properly!
It’s finally rained!!!!! We can turn the oven on!!! Although this Potato Salad looks and sounds soooo good.I love it cold from the fridge absolutely perfect with about everything you can think of……Uh oh Sun’s come back out……Thankyou for sharing this lovely recipe at #FridayFiesta
Thanks Jenny! Oh, and rain it did here! Constant lightening every 5-10 seconds too! Sun is peeping through the clouds this morning though ?. Ooo yes, cold potato salad with everything! Sounds like a plan! ? Thank YOU for co-hosting Fiesta Friday again… I guess you had fun your first week!??
MMMM! A lovely tasty super potato salad! yummy yum!
Thanks Sophie… So good!
[…] about ‘salad dishes’ you might have your own specialities, but how about coleslaw, potato salad, rice salad, couscous salad, pasta salad, bean salad, or Greek salad. Add a spoonful of one or two […]