Happy 4th of July!

Add this easy potato salad to your barbecue... My picky eater hates commercial mayonnaise, but loves potatoes. This potato salad has no store-bought mayo but stays creamy and delicious with an easy aioli dressing.

4 lbs. baby creamer potatoes, or other small variety. Mixed colors-- red, white, purple, are good

4 scallions, minced

4 T. mixed fresh herbs, minced-- I like tarragon, basil, and lemon thyme, but you can also use oregano, parsley, marjoram or whatever combo you like

1 large egg yolk

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 t. Dijon mustard

1 T. white wine vinegar

4 T. olive oil

5 T. canola or safflower oil

freshly ground black pepper

minimal salt to taste

Set a large pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes and cook 15 - 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain in a colander and run cold water over them to stop the cooking.

In the meantime, make an aioli: Place minced garlic, mustard, egg yolk and fresh ground black pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the vinegar and then the herbs. Drizzle in the olive oil and then the canola oil, whisking constantly.

When potatoes have cooled, slice into 1/4" disks leaving skins on, and place in a large bowl. Add the minced scallions. Gently stir in the aioli and correct seasoning with more pepper and a little salt.

Makes enough for a party.

Variation: If there are no vegetarians at your party, you can add 1/2 lb. of pancetta to the potato salad. Slice the pancetta into small batons and saute in 1 T. olive oil over medium heat until just beginning to crisp. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Once the pan drippings have cooled, use them as a substitute for 1 T. of the olive oil in the aioli. Add the cooked pancetta to the potatoes and scallions, then add the aioli.