Tarragon Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

Serves 4-6

This is my absolute favorite potato salad, and I am a huge fan of potato salad! I discovered this salad because I am allergic to eggs and cannot eat mayonnaise. This potato salad has no eggs. (But it does have dairy.)

Dressing:
2 tsp. dijon mustard*
1 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp. white or black pepper
2 Tbls. tarragon vinegar*
1/4 cup olive oil*
1/4 cup sour cream*
2 Tbls. fresh tarragon, chopped (or more to taste)

Salad ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes
1 package sugar snap peas, strings removed
1 small red onion, cut into thin slices

1. Cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks and boil until just fork tender. Do not overcook! Remove immediate from heat, drain, and rinse in cold water. Let cool in fridge or by placing bowl of potatoes in a bowl of ice water.
2. Bring a small pot of water to boil for the peas. When water boils, blanch peas in the water until they all turn bright green, 1 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Remove from heat, rinse in cold water, and place in ice water bath until cool. Drain peas and pat try with paper toweling.
3. Meanwhile, prepare dressing by whisking together mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil with a wire whisk or a fork until the oil is emulsified into the other ingredients (the mixture should be thickened). Whisk in sour cream and tarragon.
4. When all ingredients are cool, place in a large bowl and pour dressing over top. Gently combine all ingredients. You may need more salt; I find potatoes usually need generous amounts of salt. Chill for 2 to 24 hours before serving.

Chicken Salad Variation: This recipe makes a fantastic tarragon chicken salad. Simply replace 1 1/2 lbs. cooked potatoes with 1 1/2 lbs. cooked chicken. Absolutely delicious!

*A word about ingredients: Use a high-quality dijon mustard made with white wine. Makes a huge difference! I like Grey Poupon. You must use tarragon vinegar; it really adds that tarragon flavor to this dish. It's pretty easy to find. Use a high-quality, extra-virgin, first-cold-pressed, unfiltered, organic olive oil if you can find it. I buy Trader Joe's First Lady Reserve. It isn't organic, but it has all the other qualities for a great price. Unfiltered olive oil has lauric acid, a natural anti-viral. For the sour cream, use an organic, whole milk sour cream with live active cultures. I like Horizon Organic. None of this low-fat dairy stuff! Whole-fat dairy WILL NOT make you fat. Low-fat dairy usually contains dry milk, which is full of chemicals. Enjoy the fat!!