The roosters and hens have given a whole new meaning to the term ‘free range’ these days. Making their rounds, they circle up into the woods and around the kitchen garden just before sunbathing and slumbering below my kitchen window. They continue on following a makeshift pathway down a small slope to the main lawn and heading back to their coop for another siesta. They make this journey a couple of times a day and the roosters crow every once in awhile as if to give me some sort of sense that their journey under the sun is going well. Very well.

And so I also find myself using every excuse to be outside in the warmth of the sun. Little buds and shards of grass poke from under last year’s growth and the sky is more often than not a deep and bright blue. Taking meals outside is almost mandatory these days. One of my favorite side dishes during the spring and summer has to be potetsalat, or potato salad. It pairs so nicely with the warming weather with its refreshing and satisfying flavors.

A simple Norwegian potato salad is typically dressed up in a mayonnaise and sour cream based sauce and topped with scallions or chives. My version, inspired by Kukla’s radish salad,  also incorporates slices of cucumbers, radishes and hardboiled eggs to give more crunch and texture.

Spring Potato Salad (Potetsalat)

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:

• 5-6 medium potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled
• ½ cup (120 ml) sour cream
• ½ cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
• 3 scallions, green and white parts chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• ½ large English cucumber
• 1 bunch of radishes, thinly sliced
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• salt & pepper to taste

Cover the peeled potatoes with salted water in a large pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool.

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and mayonnaise.

Cut the cucumber, radishes, and hard-boiled eggs into thin round slices, with the radishes having the thinnest slices. Cut the cooled potatoes into slices or quarters as you prefer. Place everything into a serving bowl.

Pour the sour cream and mayonnaise mixture in the serving bowl and add the chopped dill, scallions, salt and pepper and mix gently.

Garnish with a little more dill, serve chilled or room temperature and enjoy!