As I write this, the temperatures have topped 90 degrees for the second straight day, and show no sign of stopping anytime soon. Obviously, this puts a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm for cooking, so I thought I’d settle for a summertime staple – namely, potato salad.

Those of us who were paying attention in history class will recall that potatoes were originally indigenous to South America, reaching Europe only through the Spanish army. The reception on that side of the pond was somewhat spotty, however. When Sir Walter Raleigh brought them to the court of Elizabeth I, she was so underwhelmed that she banned them for the remainder of her reign. They did gain some lackluster attention in France, and the Italians couldn’t cultivate them at all. Eventually, it fell to the Germans to popularize the root vegetable, largely due to a spate of wet and cool winters in the 18th century, which killed off the wheat crops. Accordingly, King Frederick the Great issued a proclamation in 1754, ordering all farmers to grow potatoes.

Vinegar, mustard and bacon were popular ingredients in this environment, and consequently, their version is a lot different than our own. For one thing, there is no mayonnaise, and it it served hot. Actually, I’ve made it on a number of occasions, and it’s quite good/

When the Germans arrived on these shores in the 19th century, they brought their beloved Kartoffelsalat with them, but it remained a largely ethnic food. The American version didn’t appear until June 3, 1899, when a drunken potato farmer by the name of Ezra Bovine decided to gate-crash the opening of the Twin Falls Bar and Grill. He was really only there for the beer, but he decided to grease the works by boiling up some potatoes and onions and slathering them in mayonnaise. His brother decided to recount the events of that day in his diary:

“That drunk brother of mine showed up at the gala grand opening of the TFBG with a large bowl of mush. He called it ‘potato salad.’ Of course, everyone there knew he just boiled some spuds, tossed in mayo and onions he stole from his neighbor’s garden and brang it so’s he could take advantage of the free beer pot-luck. It wasn’t bad, but could have used a dollop of mustard and relish.”

Things really took off in 1912, when a German immigrant by the name of Richard Hellman decided to market the first packaged mayonnaise. Since that time, the recipe has been fiddled with, with pickles and celery coming into the mix. In the intervening years, it has become a fixture at family barbecues, and everyone seems to think it’s a purely American invention.

I grabbed this recipe from “The Cook’s Country Cookbook,” which provided me with a helpful hint – instead of rinsing the potatoes, drench them in a mixture of mustard and pickle juice, and stick the lot in the fridge for half an hour. That way, the flavor gets right into the potatoes, instead of just floating on the outside. Secondly, this isn’t a dish you should leave outside; bacteria can easily grow in it, and you really don’t want to add food poisoning to the issues we have to deal with these days.

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ALL-AMERICAN POTATO SALAD

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Salt

3 tablespoons dill pickle juice plus 1/4 cup finely sliced dill pickles

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1/2 small red onion, minced

1 celery rib, chopped fine

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine

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Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with cold water to cover by one inch. Bring to a boil over medium head, add 1 teaspoon salt, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain the potatoes thoroughly, and spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet. Mix two tablespoons of the pickle juice and the mustard together in a small bowl. Drizzle the mixture over the potatoes and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.

Mix the remaining teaspoon of pickle juice, chopped pickles, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper, celery seed, mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, red onion and celery in a large bowl. Add the potatoes, and chill about 30 minutes. Stir in the eggs just before serving. Makes four to six servings.

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