Every June, on Midsummer's Eve, we hold a splendid celebration known as the Stillwater Party. Stillwater is the name thought up by my younger son and me for a mock New England sect combining Shaker, Amish, and Quaker qualities. The Stillwaters believe that life should be enjoyed and appreciated and Nature revered.
The party is always a joyous and impressive event, complete with a barn dance to fiddle and accordion music supplied by talented friends; a marionette show put on either by our family or by professional friends; and a truly sumptuous repast, including this potato salad. Neighbors contribute all sorts of delectable salads, breads, cakes, cookies, and so on. And we try to have goat ice cream, to which nothing can compare.
I mix this salad just before a party, for it tastes best at room temperature.*
8 medium potatoes
6 eggs
6 cloves garlic
1 large onion, finely chopped
8 slices cooked bacon
1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain white vinegar
1/2 cup French Dressing (Tasha's receipt is on page 6 of the same cookbook)
1/2 cup fresh dill, thyme, summer savory, or parsley, or a combination, finely chopped
1 head Boston lettuce
Boil the potatoes and the eggs together in a pot. When the potatoes can be pierced with a fork, drain the liquid. Immediately peel the hot potatoes and chop them into 1/2-inch cubes. Peel the eggs and chop them. Add the eggs, garlic, onion, and crumbled bacon to the potatoes.
Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, and French dressing. Mix well. Add the chopped herbs and mix in.
Place Boston lettuce leaves on a serving platter and spoon the potato salad on top. Serve right away.
*Excerpt from the 1993 Tasha Tudor Cookbook ~ currently out-of-print.