Panama’s Pink Potato Salad

From Anna, a member of the CSA. Anna says: “I studied abroad in Panama in the Spring of ’08 and it was my favorite dish there. Panamanians mostly eat rice, beans, tropical fruits when in season, meat, and starchy foods…so having this mixed vegetable dish was a treat!”

5 medium sized potatoes
2 medium sized carrots
3 medium sized Bull’s Blood beets
1-2 stalk celery
1 onion
1 bunch parsley
1 clove garlic
3 eggs
1-2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1-2 teaspoon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by boiling the potatoes in a large pot. When they are close to half cooked add the beet and carrot.
Then add the eggs to the pot for the last 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the celery, parsley, onion, and garlic.
Drain the potato pot. You should now have tender potatoes, a tender beet, carrot and a hard boiled egg.
Peel and dice the beets and carrots. It is a little counter-intuitive to us Americans, to boil and then do the chopping. However, that is the custom in Panama. The cooks say it is easier to peel the vegetables after boiling.
Separate the hard boiled egg white from the egg yolk. Chop the egg whites. Crumble the egg yolk. Mix the egg whites, celery, parsley, onion, garlic, mayonnaise and mustard in a deep bowl. Then add everything else and mix just enough to coat the vegetables with the mayonnaise.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more mayonnaise or mustard to the desired consistency. Mix well.
Sprinkle the crumbled egg yolk on top for a beautiful touch of yellow color!

Serves 4