Rustic Shrimp and Potato Dish

About two weeks ago, we had a "summer" weekend, a burst of sunshine, a last chance to soak in heat, greenery, and the outdoors, before the brisk chill set in.  And has it set in. My wool sweater, knee high boots, and protective raincoat, sadly replaced my light cotton wear, sometime last week.

Anyway, back to that weekend.  Everyone in NYC instinctively knew this was the last beautifully warm day of the season, and every New Yorker, determined to make the most of the 80 degree weather, had planned to spend it outdoors.  Nadir and I were no exception.  Instead of lazily spending the morning in bed, we hastily made our way to the supermarket, bought the ingredients for a picnic, had cooked and assembled it within an  hour, and donning our fedora hats, were on our way to Central Park by early afternoon.

Not surprisingly, when we reached Sheeps' Meadow, at the park, the whole of New York had the same idea.  The sprawling grassy area was filled with New York's finest; hipsters, wearing their tight jeans and funky glasses, Wall Street types, in their polo shirts and khaki shorts, children running around happily, students with books left untouched, and dozens of people like us, with packed lunches, people watching, reading, and dozing on and off.

It was an afternoon of relaxation.  Nibbling on the garlic shrimps, digging into the tangy potato salad, dipping it into the zesty yogurt sauce along with slices of baguette, we thoroughly enjoyed the light, delicious, and easy to assemble lunch.  The shrimp and potato meal was inspired by a cooking show from a  few days earlier.  Jamie Oliver, a lively British chef, who talks a million miles a minute, cooks wonderful rustic dishes, in his country home in the UK, often using fresh ingredients from his own garden.  One episode featured a meal of smoked salmon, topped with homemade potato salad, showered with fresh herbs, and sprinkled with a horseradish creme fraiche sauce.  I'm not a big fan of smoked salmon so I substituted it with shrimp and as a healthier option used greek yogurt as a base for the sauce.  The combination worked well.

This dish is worth trying.  Its a great summer lunch but works in autumn as well, especially if you want something light.  The best part is that it takes very little effort and produces great results!

Rustic Shrimp and Potato Salad Recipe (Modified from Jamie Oliver's Salmon and Potato recipe)

Ingredients
• 1 1/4 pounds new potatoes, washed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• a splash of  vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers, soaked and drained
• 12 tablespoon wasabi in a jar, to taste
• 6 oz nonfat greek yogurt
• a small bunch of fresh dill
• 1 lb or 3/4 lb shrimps (deveined)


Directions
Pick out the larger potatoes and halve them, making them roughly the same size as the smaller ones. Put all the potatoes into a pan of boiling salted water. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are just cooked, and drain in a colander. Put the lemon zest and half the lemon juice into a bowl and add the vinegar. Normally, when making a dressing, I stick to one type of acid, but in this case using vinegar and lemon juice together gives the dish a lovely zinginess. Pour in three times as much extra virgin olive oil as vinegar, and add the capers. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Mix everything well, then add the warm potatoes and toss around until they are all well coated.

Mix the wasabi paste into the crème fraîche with the remaining lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Sprinkle most of the dill over the cooled potatoes and toss again.

Sautee the shrimp in some olive oil and garlic for two minutes.  Don't overcook.  Lay them out on a big plate or platter. Don’t be too neat – I want you to make it look rustic!  Pile the dressed potatoes on top. Dollop over wasabi yogurt sauce, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle over the rest of the dill
Served with some nice bread, this makes a delicious lunch.