It’s nothing special to look at.  A beat up, dark green metal box with index cards inside.  But it is whats on those cards that make this little box so special.  You see, I was lucky enough to receive my mother’s recipe box after she died and I find something new every time I look through it.  Some of the items I can’t remember ever seeing her make and some are just like old friends.  I have to admit that I can’t reproduce most of them or maybe I just remember hers being better but I still try, time after time.

Since it is Memorial Day weekend we are doing the traditional grilling and spending loads of time outside.  I am not a big fan or mayonnaise or mustard based potato salad so the first place I went to find something different was the recipe box and I came away with this one.

I love the little notes that are included so that you don’t forget the little things or make a mistake.  My mom wrote the recipes as if someone was speaking to her, telling her what to write as they cooked.  Maybe they were.  Things like you can boil the potatoes while you fry the bacon and you can use onions or scallions but if you use onions, you have an extra step.

It turned out really well.  The taste was just what I wanted and my husband loved it.  We had it with hamburgers and might just have the leftovers today with whatever comes off the grill. 

We are going to call it -Neva’s German Potato Salad

2 lbs new potatoes, washed and quartered

6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (save grease)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup onions or scallions chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon, crumble into pieces.  Boil potatoes while you fry the bacon.  If you use onions and not scallions, sweat them in the bacon grease.  The potatoes should be tender but firm, you don’t want them to fall apart.  Take onions out of pan.  Add flour, sugar, water and vinegar to skillet with the bacon grease.  Heat over medium heat until thick, constantly stirring.

Add bacon, onions and potatoes to skillet until coated.  Be careful not to break up potatoes. 

Salt and pepper to taste.