Potato, Corn, and Radish Salad with Crème Fraîche-Chive Dressing

A grandfather is explaining to his grandson about the internal battles that every person will face in their life. He says that there are two wolves inside each one of us. One wolf is evil – full of anger, jealousy, regret, greed, and arrogance. The other wolf is good – filled with love, peace, forgiveness, and humility. So the boy asks, “Which wolf will win?” And the wise man replies, “The one you feed.”
– Two Wolves, a Cherokee legend

corn and potatoes Crème Fraîche-Chive Dressing

My meals these days require less cooking than they do fresh produce assembly. Currently: salad, salad, salad, salad, salad, salad, salad.

This salad benefits from some time to relax, time for the dressing to permeate the potatoes. (I like to overcook the potatoes, so they sort of fall apart in the vinaigrette, but that’s a personal preference.)

You can make this salad several hours before you serve it. (If you choose the egg version, make sure to refrigerate it in the interim.) You can easily double or triple the recipe, if you’re feeding a crowd. The salad is good for up to 3 days in the fridge.

soft boiled eggPotato, Corn, and Radish Salad with Crème Fraîche-Chive Dressing

Potato, Corn, and Radish Salad with Crème Fraîche-Chive Dressing

If you don’t have Champagne vinegar, use white wine vinegar instead. I got the idea to add a soft-boiled egg to the dressing from Food52Serves 4-6

*I make the dressing two different ways, depending on what I’m in the mood for. Using an egg nudges this salad in the direction of a classic, mayonnaise-based potato salad. It’s still bright, but decidedly richer. Skipping the egg in favor of lime juice is brighter still. The dressing is still creamy though, from the mustard and crème fraîche.

  • salad:
  • 8-10 (440 grams) baby (or new) Yukon gold potatoes
  • 2 ears corn
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
  • 1 bunch scallions, whites and light greens, sliced
  • 1/3 heaping cup minced chives
  • .
  • dressing:
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
  • 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
  • 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon hot honey (or 1 teaspoon honey + a pinch of chili powder)
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup minced chives
  • the whites and light green of 1 scallion
  • 1 medium egg*
  • the juice of 1 medium lime*
  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • salad:
  •      Scrub the potatoes. Move them to a medium pot full of cold, well-salted water. Turn the heat to high. Boil the potatoes until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, strip the husks from both ears of corn. When the potatoes have finished cooking, remove them to a colander, but keep the pot on the boil. Add the corn to the pot; cook for 2 minutes. Remove the corn from the water. [If making the egg version of the vinaigrette, allow the water to return to a boil. Place the egg in the water, and then turn off the heat. Cover the pot with a lid, and let the egg idle for 10 minutes. Remove the egg to a bowl of ice water. When the egg is cool enough to handle, peel the egg, and then move it to the mixer you’re using to make the dressing.]
  •      When the potatoes are still warm, but cool enough to handle, quarter them and place them in a serving bowl. Cut the corn away from the cobs, and add the kernels to the bowl too. Add the sliced radishes, scallions, and chives.
  • .
  • dressing:
  •      Into the bowl of a blender, add: the olive oil, neutral oil, crème fraîche, Champagne vinegar, lemon juice, honey, mustard, chives, scallion, and the egg or lime, depending on which version you’re making. Blend the dressing for 30 seconds, until the scallion breaks down, and the dressing is emulsified.
  •      Fold the vinaigrette into the vegetables. (You will likely have extra dressing. Save this: if you won’t be serving the salad right away, I recommend holding back a tablespoon or two of the dressing anyway, to stir in right before serving.) Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Potato, Corn, and Radish Salad with Crème Fraîche-Chive Dressing

Potato, Corn, and Radish Salad with Crème Fraîche-Chive Dressing Potato, Corn, and Radish Salad with Crème Fraîche-Chive Dressing

Potato, Corn, and Radish Salad with Crème Fraîche-Chive Dressing

7 Comments

  1. Felicia@Ingredient1

    Radishes are our newest crunchy obsession, and we love seeing them in salads. Thanks for the note about the two different dressings; which style do you prefer?

    • CristinaSciarra

      Hi Felicia, I prefer the lime version, because I don’t love mayonnaise!

  2. Sophie | The Green Life

    Yum! That sounds lovely!
    Love the combination of flavours and textures. Adding this to my to make list!

  3. Remi

    I love this unique take on potato salad by using creme fraiche instead of sour cream, which adds elegance to the dish. I will definitely try this for my next picnic or summer BBQ.

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