Red Skin Potato, Pea, Pesto and Bacon Salad

For many cooks, there is always at least one type of food that can always be found in their kitchen. I have a few that I have a tendency to keep stockpiled in my kitchen:

• Tomatoes … I have come to realize that not a day goes by that I do not eat a tomato-based food. Whether it is chips and salsa, tomato slices sprinkled with salt and pepper, a glass of tomato juice, pasta with a tomato-based sauce, soup with a tomato-based sauce or a sandwich with tomato slices. I’m addicted to tomatoes and cannot get enough of them.
• Pasta … Even though I’m a meat and potatoes kind of girl, don’t mess with me when it comes to pasta. I swear I must have some Italian in me.
• Rice … My husband often requests my special rice when we BBQ chicken or pork. I love adding garlic, salt, butter and parsley to rice. That flavor combination really kicks the flavor up a notch.
• Red skin potatoes … What’s not to love about red skin potatoes? They are the perfect side dish and are so versatile. They can be mashed, baked, boiled … the list can go on and on.

The other day when we were out grocery shopping, I remembered that we were fresh out of red skin potatoes so I grabbed a bunch. Later that evening, we ended up having a BBQ at our house so I thought, why not use up some of these potatoes by preparing a potato salad? The result was a delicious combination of starch, vegetables, fresh herbs and best of all … bacon.

Red Skin Potato, Pea, Pesto and Bacon Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of quartered baby red skin potatoes
• 1 lb of bacon, prepared
• 1 can peas, drained
• Fresh Basil Pesto or canned pesto sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still slightly firm. Drain and place back in large pot.
2. Pour the rest of the ingredients into the pot and toss to coat the potatoes and bacon.

What’s the one type of food that can always be found in your kitchen?