Recipe: French Potato Salad 

Ingredients:
2 pounds medium red potatoes
5-8 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons minced shallots (can substitute red onion)
¼ cup finely chopped cornichons (can substitute kosher dill pickle)
1½ tablespoons minced chives (can substitute green onion stems)
1 tablespoon thyme (optimal: fresh thyme leaves, minced)

½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Scrub potatoes and cut into chunks. Start water boiling in a pot to steam
the potatoes. Peel the garlic cloves, cut them in half, and tie them into a
small loose bundle using cheesecloth and thread. Put the potatoes into a
steamer basket over the boiling water. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and set
the garlic bundle on top. Cover and reduce heat. Cook at a low boil until
potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Put a colander in a large bowl.
When the potatoes are done steaming, remove the garlic bundle and then dump the
whole pot into the colander and set the pot back on the stove. Remove the
steamer insert. Then lift out the colander, draining the steaming liquid into
the bowl, and set the colander on the pot to drain. Reserve 6 tablespoons of
the steaming liquid and set aside.

2. Remove the garlic from the cheesecloth bundle to a bowl, mash with a fork
and scrape into a medium bowl. Add ½ teaspoon salt, vinegar, Dijon and pepper,
whisking with a fork to blend. Then add olive oil slowly, then whisk in 3
tablespoons reserved steaming liquid and set dressing aside.

3. Put warm potato chunks into the bowl and add remaining 3 tablespoons
steaming liquid, shallots, cornichons, chives and thyme. Fold in dressing.
Cover and refrigerate. The salad should be served slightly chilled or at room
temperature.

NOTE: I buy the shallots, chives and cornichons all at Trader Joe's.