But, back to the task at hand...I bought a gorgeous little bunch...if you can refer to potatoes in the term bunch...of multi-colored fingerlings at the farmer's market a week or so ago and really needed to use them! So, I searched out Greek recipes that contained potatoes...and I find one that became a quick favorite. I love potato salads made with vinegar, but mostly have it German-style (BACON!). This particular recipe is fabulous...is packed full of those addictive, salty little bubbles...capers! In a cookbook I found at the library called Modern Greece by Andy Harris, the recipes intro says... "In the Cycladic Islands, capers grow wild on the cliffs. Picked and pickled by most families, they are added to this frugal salad found often in the summer months at the lunchtime table." So, I will close my eyes and imagine I'm in that picturesque fairytale of a country...
serves 4
2 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks I (almost) never peel my potatoes
1 medium sized red onion, peeled and thinly slice I (almost) always DO peel my onions
1/3 c. capers, rinsed
3 Tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Boil the potatoes and drain in a colander. Transfer to a large bowl and combine with all the other ingredients, seasoning the salad with salt and pepper. Serve while potatoes are still warm.
My oldest son...potato-lover extraordinaire...LOVED this! Me too ;-)
Since I have a plethora of grape leaves available right outside my door, I decided I had to make a few dolmades, too. I was gonna hold off because I have an upcoming post about preserving grape leaves...but it fit, so...
No exact recipe...if using fresh grape leaves, rinse and blanch them for about a minute before using. Lay out one of the blanched (or preserved/rinsed) leaves, shiny side down. Place a heaping teaspoon (or more if the leaf is large enough) of your preferred stuffing in middle. Fold in the sides, then roll loosely. Line them up in a large pot, place a plate on top, to weigh them down. Add water to cover and simmer gently for ~40 minutes. These particular dolmades were stuffed with brown rice, red salad onions, garlic, mint, toasted pinenuts seasoned w/ salt & pepper. Leave the rice raw, it will cook in the process. You can add cooked, ground meat to the mixture...and raisins, too...but I was in the mood for meatless and I was out of raisins!
This is my entry into Joanne of Eats Well with Others' Regional Recipes: Greece event...whew, nothing like procrastinating. I'm also sending the salad over to another friend, Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sundays this week and Reeni of Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice and her Side Dish Showdown, plus I'm adding it to this weeks Two for Tuesdays post!
Bacon-topped Meatloaf with Gemstone Potato-Green Bean "Salad"
Free form it into a loaf of any shape you like and place it on a foil-lined sheet pan.
Drape the bacon slices over the loaf. 
Bake 50-60 minutes, or until thermometer registers 165 degrees F in center of loaf. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to recompose itself (juices). Slice. Break up fight over end piece. Enjoy warm or even better cold in a sammie the next day.
Gemstone Potato & Green Bean "Salad"
Put it all together and you've got one tasty meal!
